No single way internet can support carers

Together with Crossroads Care, The Princess Royal Trust for Carers has recently published a report entitled How can the web support carers?. The findings are based on extensive research which the two organizations carried out into the ways that carers use the internet, as well as the barriers that may stop carers from doing so.

The starting point for this project was the recognition of the fact that the internet is an extremely powerful tool for reaching and informing a huge amount of the UK populations. 60% of UK adults say they go on line every day or almost every other day.

Gigi Burgdorf, who led the research, commented: “We really wanted to see how carers were using this amazing resource, as well as to research issues that service providers needed to be aware of when developing online services for carers.”

One of the major findings of the report was that the way internet is used for the benefit of carers cannot be generalized across the UK and that internet should always be used to complement existing support features rather than to replace them.

“Ultimately, I hope the report gives readers the experience I had in the focus groups when I realised the necessity of offering choice to reach more carers, and the importance of consultation – even when you think you already know the answers.”

---Gigi shares in her blogpost here

The study, which was funded by the Department of Health, included in-depth examination of existing evidence, discussions with organisations already providing carer services online and, most importantly, focused meetings (either online or face to face) with more than 420 carers or former carers.

The findings from the report will now be shared with the charities networks, as well as those bodies across the UK that commission services for carers, such as Local Health Authorities in England.

More info:

Download the report

Read the executive summary of the report