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Making Telecare desirable rather than a last resort

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 December 2016

CLAIRE L. BENTLEY ,
LAUREN A. POWELL ,
ALISON ORRELL  and
GAIL A. MOUNTAIN
CLAIRE L. BENTLEY
Affiliation:
School of Health and Related Research, The University of Sheffield, UK.
LAUREN A. POWELL*
Affiliation:
School of Health and Related Research, The University of Sheffield, UK.
ALISON ORRELL
Affiliation:
School of Social Sciences, Neuadd Ogwen, Bangor University, UK.
GAIL A. MOUNTAIN
Affiliation:
School of Health and Related Research, The University of Sheffield, UK.
*
Address for correspondence: Lauren Powell, School of Health and Related Research, The University of Sheffield, Regent Court, 30 Regent Street, Sheffield S1 4DA, UK E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Despite reported benefits of Telecare use for older adults, uptake of Telecare in the United Kingdom remains relatively low. Non-users of Telecare are an under-researched group in the Telecare field. We conducted 22 qualitative individual semi-structured interviews to explore the views and opinions of current non-users of Telecare regarding barriers and facilitators to its use, and explored considerations which may precede their decision to accept, or reject, Telecare. Framework analysis identified a number of themes which influence the outcome and timing of this decision, including peace of mind (for the individual and their family), the strength and composition of an individual's support network, the impact of changing personal and health circumstances, and lack of communication about Telecare (e.g. advertising). A cost–benefit decision process appears to take place for the potential user, whereby the benefit of peace of mind is weighed against perceived ‘costs’ of using Telecare. Telecare is often perceived as a last resort rather than a preventative measure. A number of barriers to Telecare use need to be addressed if individuals are to make fully informed decisions regarding their Telecare use, and to begin using Telecare at a time when it could provide them with optimal benefit. Although the study was set in England, the findings may be relevant for other countries where Telecare is used.

Keywords

Telecarebarrierscostbenefitawarenessdecision-making
Type
Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 38 , Issue 5 , May 2018 , pp. 926 - 953
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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