Telecare that works: lessons on integrating digital technologies in elder care from Indian transnational families

Abstract

In recent decades, policy makers around the world have been working on implementing various technologies into healthcare, and the Covid19 pandemic fueled this process. The specialized technological solutions for telecare – the use of technologies for care at a distance – are often adopted by users in different ways than intended, or are abandoned if the users cannot find applications that are meaningful to them. However, beyond specialized healthcare technologies, people are incorporating mundane digital technologies into their (health)care practices. In this paper, we draw on ethnographic research on the use of everyday digital technologies in Indian families where migrating children who are professional nurses care for their aging parents at a distance. Our findings show that 1) remote elder care is enacted through frequent calling which further fosters trust, necessary to provide healthcare remotely; 2) the motivation for older adults to engage with digital technologies is grounded in the value of family and affect which is consequential also for health; 3) technologies, too, require care-work in the form of everyday maintenance; and 4) in-person visits from children remain important, indicating that hybrid interaction is optimal for good care at a distance. We conclude that taking these findings into account may contribute to a more successful implementation of formal telecare systems.