Digital care at home: exploring the role of smart consumer devices

Louise Anne Reid*, Grace Sisel

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

In-home ‘smart’ consumer devices such as voice assistants, doorbells, thermostats, and lightbulbs have been advocated by organisations in the UK such as the RNIB, Alzheimer Scotland, and the NHS. Yet the use of these devices, which are not purposely designed as care devices and therefore are not subject to evaluation and regulation, has been neglected in the academic literature. This paper reports on a study which examined 135 Amazon reviews of 5 ‘top-selling’ smart devices, concluding that such devices are being used to supplement informal caring, albeit in different ways. The implications of this phenomena are necessary to consider, specifically the consequences for ‘caring webs’ and expectations about the future role of digital devices within the landscape of informal caring.
Original languageEnglish
Article number102961
Number of pages7
JournalHealth & Place
Volume80
Early online date18 Feb 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Mar 2023

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