New figures suggest the UK’s care crisis is not only being felt in hospitals and care settings, but in kitchens, bedrooms and family group chats across the country. There are now 5.8 million unpaid carers in the UK, 1.7 million[1] of whom provide 50 or more hours of care every week, while more than half (52%)[2] say they are caring more hours than they were a year ago. Many are also paying for care themselves, with 62%[3] regularly spending their own money on caring costs and nearly half cutting back on essentials such as food, heating, clothing and transport.
This is having an emotional toll. Almost half (46%) of Brits say neither carers nor those being cared for have enough support or advice, according to a national survey conducted by Sentai into the worry behind the care crisis.
Designed to help individuals live independently at home for longer, the digital voice assistant’s study found the biggest challenges facing carers were constant worry when they are not with the loved one (34%), balancing care with work and family life (31%), and navigating the health and social care system (27%).
The result is a silent form of caregiving crisis, where families take on more responsibility to help relatives yet quietly feel the stress build up themselves. More than three quarters (79%) of those who identify as carers feel stressed or anxious, nearly half (49%) feel depressed, and half (50%) report loneliness[4].
This stress and worry is fueld by an “invisible care load” taking the form of thousands of small prompts, reminders, check-ins, messages and conversations that families often carry quietly in their daily life. Despite the challenges, four in five (79%) respondents to the Sentai research stated that technology could help support in these situations.
Kristy Way, a full time carer of her 21 year old son, uses Sentai to support their day-to-day routine. She said: “The small tasks really do build up. This can range from making sure my son is up and getting ready in the morning all the way through to general check-ins to make sure he is okay. Sometimes, you don’t even realise how much of your day is actually taken up by this.
“Before we got Sentai, my son would come to me every 20 minutes for help with something, now he maybe comes to me every one or two hours. This has been invaluable to us. Sentai will remind him things like brushing his teeth and will have chats about his favourite subjects like Doctor Who or Thomas the Tank, while I can continue with other tasks or have a little more time for myself. For my son, he’s been able to become a lot more independent. And for myself, my own wellbeing has majorly improved. I feel a lot less stressed knowing technology has helped lift some of the load.”
Kristy’s story is all too recognisable. The latest interaction data from Sentai revealed the average Sentai user responds to more than 160 interactions over a 90 day period. These interactions are made up of prompts, check-ins, and alerts, including reminders for users to take medication, hydrate, exercise, wellbeing check-ins and messages from relatives. For more than four in ten (42%) this added up to over 200 interactions, while a fifth (18%) recorded over 300.
Sentai’s research further revealed that this invisible care load is often the primary moment people start to seek support. Almost half (48%) of carers said everyday struggles like cooking and remembering to take medication is when they would seek support for loved ones. The majority (56%) also stated that these daily challenges are when they would choose to seek support for themselves too.
Peter Otto, CEO of Sentai, said: “The everyday moments, where families are trying to maintain routines, confidence and independence, are often the most underestimated when it comes to the impact on carers. The smaller interactions like a quick check-in might not seem so big, but this can quickly pile up when a person requires a lot of support.
“It’s critical we don’t underestimate these moments. The future of care has to be more preventative, more proactive and more connected to daily life at home. Technology has a role to play in that shift, not by replacing family or professional care, but by helping spot changes earlier, support independence for longer and give families the confidence that their loved one is not managing alone.”
Image depicts Sentai logo