Sep 29, 2020
How Technology is Key to Reducing Social Isolation in Youth Caregivers

The detrimental impact of social isolation has brought the issue from the caregiving community to mainstream. We’ve seen the families struggling to connect with their loved ones and how creativity and technology has helped to bring these families together. However, there is another type of social isolation in our midst, that doesn’t get talked about enough. And that is the loneliness and isolation surrounding our caregiving youth.

Who are the caregiving youth?

Of the reported 43.5 million[1] family caregivers in the US, 10 million or almost 1 in 4 of those caregivers are in their twenties and thirties. These are millennials who are just starting on their adult life journey but also finding themselves in the role of a family caregiver. But there is another quieter, yet significant, group who are even younger: the caregiving youth. Caregivers who are under 18 (sometimes referred to as Generation Z) comprise at least 3.4 million young people, with some news outlets reporting estimates as high as 5 million just in the US. To put some context around this, 3.4 million is the approximate population of the greater Chicago area. That is a lot of children stranded in a very challenging adult role.

How Social Isolation is Different for Younger Caregivers

Many of us have been, are, or will be an adult caregiver. If you have been or are, then you truly understand that while caregiving is a labor of love, it can be very, very complex and hard. And as adult caregivers, we have life experience, coping skills (most of the time, anyway), an internal rolodex of resources and the ability to know to ask or seek help. Plus, as adult caregivers, we probably have peers who have familiarity with caregiving, so we can share our experiences, advice, and time.

This unfortunately is not the case for those 3.4 million youth caregivers. How many caregiving children are likely to find another child they know who has to go to school and then go home and work another potentially full-time job taking care of a loved one? And by taking care of, consider buying groceries, cooking meals, doing laundry, managing doctor’s appointments, picking up prescriptions, handling personal care such as bathing and other ADLs, housework and more. There is not likely to be anyone in their immediate peer group who truly understands their burden, and if there is, children are more reluctant to talk about it. When they go to school – and caregiving means sometimes missing school – their worry shifts to is my loved one okay when I’m not there? There is a lot of guilt and stress that accompanies youth caregivers, who are overwhelmed by all of the items that have to get done in addition to their schoolwork. We have seen frequent complaints from school aged caregivers like, “no one understands”, “ I’m putting my life/school on hold”, “I’m worried all of the time”, “it’s not their fault but they don’t understand (referring to friends)”, “my stress level is constantly high” and so on. Their youth and inexperience are very isolating.

The good news – new technology and youth caregivers

Younger caregivers have grown up with technology, versus having to endure the endless fff jjj ddd kkk of a Gregg Typing Handbook. They are technology first;  it is their friend. But they may not know of technology that can help them care for a loved one, reduce their stress, and have a little more “me” time in their formative years. One example is in wearables. Gen Z caregivers are familiar with (and maybe wearing) one of the popular smartwatches or fitness trackers. But they know these devices are not appropriate for their older loved ones, especially those who have Alzheimer’s or dementia.  Thankfully, there is new wearable technology purpose-built for older adults means they can stay in touch with loved ones while attending school. These wearables connect to a simple app on their own smartphone so they can stay in touch to track their loved one’s location, and be alerted if their loved one wanders so they can check in. These wearables auto-answer phone calls so that even if their parent or grandparent does not answer the wearable, their child or grandchild can still reach them.  This technology also tracks changes in an older loved one’s usual activity that can signal a need for intervention, potentially preventing a UTI or an emergency room visit or hospitalization.

Other Sources of Support

Technology that keeps us in touch with our loved ones when we can’t be there, is just one type of help. There are other types of community and online resources that provide assistance, too, tailored to the youth caregiver. Just go to Instagram, Twitter or Facebook and type in “young caregivers” and you’ll see many online forums devoted to younger caregivers, providing them an opportunity to share the caregiving experience, ask questions or just VENT if needed. It’s less isolating when you know there are others in the same boat. These forums provide valuable information for them, and likewise most communities have non-profit organizations like Meals on Wheels, churches and other groups that offer adult daycare or financial assistance in the form of food and other necessities.

These youth caregivers have so much to handle every day. As experienced adults, we can help them by being more open to share our experiences as caregivers, starting or engaging in school outreach programs, or by going online to share our experience via the informational forums and support groups. They need to know they are not alone, and while their peers may not be in their situation, there are other forms of help available to them.