Abstract
AimThe aim of this study was to explore homecare professionals' perceptions of safety related to the use of telecare by older adults.DesignAn exploratory qualitative design was employed.MethodsTwo focus group interviews with ten female homecare professionals (nine Registered Nurses and one occupational therapist) were carried out between June–December 2017. The participants were recruited from six community homecare services in two Norwegian municipalities. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.ResultsThe participants perceived that the use of telecare protects older adults against injury and insecurity by preventing harm and giving them a feeling of safety. However, they also stated that the use of telecare involves challenges that could lead to harm to older adults due to technological limitations and difficulties managing and understanding the technology. Although telecare can enhance safety, it is necessary to develop reliable technology and adapt it to the user's abilities, skills and resources.
Highlights
Use of telecare technology has the potential to maintain and en‐ hance older adults' independence and quality of life, reduce hospital and care home admissions and enable them to remain in their own homes for a longer time (Botsis, Demiris, Pedersen, & Hartvigsen, 2008; Milligan, Roberts, & Mort, 2011)
The participants perceived that the use of telecare protects older adults against injury and insecurity by preventing harm and giving them a feeling of safety
They stated that the use of telecare involves challenges that could lead to harm to older adults due to technological limitations and difficulties managing and understanding the technology
Summary
Use of telecare technology has the potential to maintain and en‐ hance older adults' independence and quality of life, reduce hospital and care home admissions and enable them to remain in their own homes for a longer time (Botsis, Demiris, Pedersen, & Hartvigsen, 2008; Milligan, Roberts, & Mort, 2011). Telecare is the use of information, communication and monitoring technologies that allow healthcare professionals to remotely evalu‐ ate health status, provide educational interventions or deliver health and social care to patients in their homes By enabling healthcare professionals to pro‐ vide care at a distance to patients' homes, telecare represents a sig‐ nificant shift in the way that care services are provided (Oudshoorn, 2012). In Norway, an overarching national strategy is to integrate telecare in the community health and care services by 2020 (Ministry of Health & Care Services, 2013). A national programme for the development and implementation of telecare was established to facilitate co‐operation and exchange of experiences between municipalities that use and integrate telecare as a part of the community health and care service. Since the start of the programme in 2013, several Norwegian municipalities have
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