A new report launched this week urges local authorities to invest in digital technology to support unpaid carers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Caring during lockdown: Challenges and opportunities for digitally supporting carers, sets out key recommendations to assist local authorities in caring for their carers; by facilitating ways the caring community can maintain its vital network of peer support during a national emergency.

Academics from the University of Liverpool and University of Sheffield studied data from 118 carers during the first COVID-19 lockdown earlier this year. The team analysed unique, proprietary data to explore the carers’ experiences through their use of digital technology to stay connected, and access support and services from their local authority.

The participants socialised over Virtual Cuppas hosted by a professional Carers Coach from covidMobilise – a tech company started and run by carers – to facilitate discussion and help identify challenges the carers are facing and solutions for them to consider.

During the four months of the first lockdown, the participant carers discussed significant challenges affecting their health and wellbeing in the digital groups, including; a perceived lack of information and social restrictions impacting their sense of certainty, control and levels of motivation, increased anxiety around access to health services and local authority support and those with dual roles, such as carer and mother, also had difficulty finding a work-life balanced during lockdown. Over time, these led to feelings of exhaustion and burnout amongst the carers, with many reporting social isolation and feelings of loneliness.

Dr Warren Donnellan, a Lecturer at the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Population Health, and a co-author of the report, said: “Carers were able to manage the unprecedented challenges posed by the first national lockdown. However, this took its toll physically and mentally; we need to find innovative ways to reduce the challenges that carers face and support them to continue their crucial work throughout the second lockdown period.”

The report sheds light on how carers came together for virtual face-to-face time, via a digital platform like Mobilise’s Virtual Cuppas; to find solutions to their problems and draw on resources, and each other, for practical and moral support.

The Virtual Cuppas provided the opportunity for participants to share tips and community resources, helping carers build resilience and adapt to the new restrictions in lockdown. They noted that feeling part of a community with people in similar caring situations also helpedreduce stress levels and kept the participants motivated during an incredibly challenging four months. One participant said: “I think that’s what’s keeping me going actually is just knowing that the community is pulling together out there and properly falling over themselves trying to do stuff… I feel that if I need something, there’s a multitude of people I can rely on.”

James Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Mobilise, said: “We’ve been inspired by carers coming together through the Mobilise cuppas to support each other at this acutely difficult time. These findings have shown that with rigorous facilitation and the right skillset, online channels can open up a significant opportunity for local authorities to transform their support for carers.”

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