Caregivers & Internet Woes

Online Challenges

In today’s world almost everyone is on the internet. This is especially true for those who use smart phones. People are checking into their social media accounts while standing in line at the bank or placing online orders for products while waiting for a coffee order. Little do some of them know that such modern day conveniences may put them at risk of fraud and more.

According to recent Association for Computing Machinery Human Computer Interaction (ACM-CHI) conference in San Jose, California, it was made clear that caregivers now have to keep abreast of their loved one’s online activities. They must do, while protecting the autonomy – and the rights - of the one they are taking care of.

A Northwestern University’s School of Communication study suggests that current online systems make it difficult for caregivers to help. It was reported that E-mail and social media sites just aren't designed for caregivers to keep watch and step in before it is too late.

University researchers used focus groups consisting of informal (family) caregivers assisting someone with Alzheimer's, dementia and other brain-related conditions. Suggestions to help keep dependent people safe were indicated. They included caregivers setting up family accounts for multiple family members, such as Administrators on a Facebook account.

To help detect risky financial situations, a caregiver could arrange for review of all credit card and/or bank transactions. Caregivers can also apply or use spam filters and set restrictive privacy settings to help avoid phishing and to block harmful websites, friend requests or potentially upsetting information.

It is a difficult balancing act, however, for several reasons: 1) People are entitled to their privacy and we all know thаt online interactions can serve important social functions, and, 2) Caregivers often already have their hands full.

So where do you drawn the line between protecting and controlling?

I think it remains a personal decision. That having been said, the more informed a caregiver is about the choices, the better the outcome.

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J. Dietrich Stroeh is author of Three Months: A Caregiving Journey from Heartbreak to Healing (FolkHeart Press) and two free e-books. For more information, click here.