Can Technology Help Caregivers of Older Adults Ancipate Needs? 2015 Wisconsin Healthy Aging Summit, August 6, Stevens Point Findings To date, we have conducted 27 in-depth interviews with caregivers of older adults. Inially, we interviewed 15 caregivers who had recently experienced at least one of three major transions: becoming a caregiver, the older adult experiencing a health crisis, or the older adult entering a more supporve home environment. More recently, we interviewed 12 caregivers about their negave and posive caregiving experiences, how they learned about caregiving topics, their use of online resources, and other resources and tools used. Major findings include: Support systems: Caregivers work on their own and collaborate with others. Support systems form and dissolve; even family members may become more or less involved—or more or less helpful—over me. Caregivers cobble together an ad hoc system that oſten they can’t describe. Finding common ground: Presenng concerns and opons in terms of the older adult’s personality or priories (e.g., if you move near us, you can help me look aſter my child) promotes consensus. Humor helps caregivers deal with stress and helps everyone broach difficult topics. Life is not compartmentalized: Caregiving bleeds into and can take over “normal life,” in realms including acvies (grocery shopping can be caregiving), home environments (adding soothing lights or locks on doors), and objects (calendars mark dinner plans and doctor appointments). Needing and being needed: Caregivers oſten struggle with accepng help from others; they’re most comfortable in the helper role and don’t want to “owe” others. Older adults need to contribute something to the family, household or society, to realize their full personhood. Current caregiver resources While there are caregiver websites and other online resources available today, they overwhelmingly focus on a parcular condion (e.g., providing care to a person with demena) or specific concern (e.g., safety at home or end-of- life care). Current caregiver resources are oſten disorganized, difficult to navigate, overwhelming in their content and presentaon, filled with technical language and wrien from the provider’s—rather than the caregiver’s—perspecve. We believe that the eCARE app and website uses a promising novel approach to address real and growing needs. eCARE’s focus on complex transions for the older adult and caregiver, its emphasis on ancipatory planning, and its use of technology to provide personalized informaon and support all set the tool apart from current resources.