The Use of Digital Technology to Support the Emotional Well-Being of Older People Who Receive Care at Home From the Perspective of Care Recipients: Qualitative Study.

Authors

Tanya E Davison, Hilary Davis, Marissa Dickins, Sonja Pedell, Tuan Anh Nguyen, Deborah Carveth, Therese Den Dulk, Karen Smith, Julie Kelly, Sunil Bhar

Published in

JMIR human factors. Volume 13. Pages e93823. Oct 28, 2026. Epub Oct 28, 2026.

Abstract

Older people who receive aged care services at home experience high rates of depression, anxiety, and loneliness, yet have poor access to services to support their well-being. Digital interventions are widely available, but research is required to determine whether they are acceptable to the in-home aged care population.
This study aimed to explore the perspectives of in-home aged care recipients on the use of digital technologies to support their emotional well-being.
Eleven older people (aged 70-87 years) who received in-home aged care from a national provider participated in a semistructured interview. The interview aimed to understand care recipients' experiences of using technology, as well as their current access to emotional support and attitudes toward using digital technologies to support their well-being.
Participants reported high access to technology (mean 5, SD 1.6 devices) but varied usage. Most required support to use technology, typically provided by family members, and reported a range of concerns related to technology use. Participants received a variety of informal supports for their emotional well-being, typically from family members and their communities, but only one accessed professional support. Most were open to using technology to support their emotional well-being, and some were willing to receive such support from their aged care provider.
The willingness of older people who receive in-home aged care to use digital technologies to supplement existing informal emotional support is encouraging. Aged care providers are well placed to implement digital well-being programs and can leverage older people's existing access to digital devices but should consider their requirements for technical support. Technologies and implementation strategies should be purpose-designed for this population and address identified barriers.

PMID:
42950239
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 29 Oct 2026.

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