Perceptions of telecare and care burden among informal caregivers of older adults with and without dementia

Natek, Izidor (author), Dolničar, Vesna (author), Hvalič Touzery, Simona (author)

Telecare promises support for older adults aging in place and helps alleviate the burden on informal caregivers. However, research on informal caregivers’ perceptions of telecare is limited, particularly in the context of unique challenges of dementia. This study addresses this gap by examining the differences between informal caregivers of older adults with and without dementia in terms of the care burden, acceptability of different telecare functionalities, and perceived psychosocial outcomes of telecare use. Conducted in Slovenia with 612 informal caregivers aged 40 and above, the study determined that dementia caregivers experienced higher care burden and perceived greater acceptability of mobility-related telecare devices. Both groups reported similar perceived psychosocial outcomes of telecare use, including reassurance and reduced anxiety. The findings highlight the need to tailor telecare functionalities to informal caregivers’ specific circumstances, particularly in supporting people with dementia, to enhance telecare’s effectiveness and the well-being of informal caregivers and care recipients.

• Language: English
• Keywords: telecare, informal care, family caregivers, dementia, psychosocial outcomes, aging, acceptability
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Publication status: In print
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 10 str.
• Numbering: Vol. , no.
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-179048
• UDC: 364
• ISSN on article: 1552-4523
• DOI: 10.1177/07334648251414317
• COBISS.SI-ID: 265801731
• Publication date in RUL: 04.02.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Journal of applied gerontology
• Publisher: Sage
• ISSN: 1552-4523
• COBISS.SI-ID: 3176980

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• License: CC BY-NC 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
• Description: A creative commons license that bans commercial use, but the users don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.