The BREATHE Project, a mobile application, video-monitoring system in family homes as an aid to the caring role: Needs, acceptability and concerns of informal carers

INTRODUCTION: Family carers provide 80% of care to older people in Europe. Our aim was to explore the needs and acceptability among informal carers, of a live video home monitoring system. METHODS: A descriptive qualitative design was implemented with nine interviewees and a focus group of five informal carers in Ireland in 2014. A thematic analysis of the data was conducted. RESULTS: Ten hours of data were recorded. Three themes emerged: routine, risk, and acceptance. Although all assisted persons had a routine, carers not living in the home stated that cameras would assist with less tangible concerns such as nutrition and loneliness. Carers were interested in monitoring risks in specific situations rather than general monitoring. The majority of carers, while expressing concerns about privacy, accepted camera technology for monitoring emergencies and, in-spite of concerns, favoured a real video view. Acceptance in non-emergencies was mixed and concerns about the privacy of the assisted person were expressed. DISCUSSION: While video monitoring is contentious, informal carers did express a willingness for real video-footage monitoring under strict conditions that addressed specific needs. CONCLUSION: The challenge for technology is to address these needs while maintaining personal dignity.