The digitalisation of social care in England and the implications for older unpaid carers: a constructionist thematic analysis

Background: Globally, populations are ageing, generating concerns about the sustainability of health and social care provision. In terms of the public provision of social care in particular, unpaid carers provide much of the support to people with disabilities and older people. Alongside this, there is an increased onus in many countries on digital transformation projects, in the hope that digitalisation of services can create efficiencies and savings in both costs and care labour. In England, the specific focus of this paper, the shift to digital services is also framed as a means to enhance choice and control for older unpaid carers and seeks to be part of an ongoing offer that includes non-digital alternatives and support to mitigate digital exclusion. Objective: The present study examines the impact of digitalisation on older unpaid carers – a group both more likely to be expected to engage digitally with services and be at risk of digital exclusion – in England, focusing on their lived experiences in terms of caring and access to social care. Methods: We use a constructionist approach to thematic analysis, where data from 48 older unpaid carers collected through focus groups, were analysed using thematic analysis, resulting in four prevailing themes. Results: Our findings indicate that while unpaid carers largely acknowledge the benefits of digitalisation, they also highlight several points of failure, whereby engagement with digital spaces is experienced as coercive, and exacerbating feelings of exclusion. These are further exacerbated by government failures to address issues of connectivity, imposing additional financial burdens and complicating tasks such as benefit applications. Conclusions: We contribute by highlighting the need for greater involvement in shaping both policy and technological solutions, which in turn will be more inclusive and aligned to the aspirations and circumstances of older carers.