Aging & Society: Eighth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

Worldwide, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia (AD) have become the leading cause of disability, affecting fourt-four million people across the globe. In the United States, most people with AD live in the community and receive care by unpaid family caregivers. However, AD caregivers often experience depression, burden, and compromised physical health as a result of their intensive caregiving activities. Information Technology (IT) has been recognized for its potential in educating and supporting AD caregivers, while also improving efficiency and quality of AD care. Simultaneously, mobile technology use by older adults has increased over the past decade. This paper will review the current state of communication and information technology, identifying opportunities and challenges for developing effective technologies as society moves towards e-Caregiving, especially for disadvantaged caregivers, such as low-income, racial/ethnic minority, and rural AD caregivers. It will also report the most recent findings from the research program CareHeroes, a multi-functional smartphone and web-based app designed to educate and support AD caregivers. This study involved an alpha test of CareHeroes, where AD caregivers participated in in-depth interviews after using the app to conduct specific caregiving tasks. The data were systematically analyzed for themes. Practice, research, and policy implications are discussed.