Caregiver Burden in Informal Care: Potential of eHealth for Relief and Support
The care system in Austria is facing major challenges. The number of people over the age of 80 will increase significantly by 2030. Informal caregivers play a central role but experience high levels of burden. The Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection is pursuing a clear strategy with the guiding principle “digital before outpatient before inpatient.”. However, it remains unclear to what extent eHealth interventions effectively contribute to reducing caregiver burden.
Nursing care in Austria is facing significant challenges due to demographic change. Especially the proportion of people older than 80 years grows steadily, while the number of healthy life years in old age is declining. Approximately 80% of people in need of care are supported at home by informal caregivers. Informal caregivers are frequently exposed to psychosocial, time-related, and physical burdens, particularly in long‑term and complex care situations. In this context, eHealth support services are gaining importance. As part of this project, a bachelor's thesis investigates the potential of eHealth interventions in informal care to effectively reduce caregiver burden.
A systematic literature search will be conducted in order to identify challenges and opportunities for implementing eHealth interventions in informal care practice.
Project team: Sebastian Rosendahl Huber und Andreas Danner
