"Count on Me": Enabling Collaboration Through Active Support for Primary Family Caregivers in Chronic Illness Care

Family caregivers play a critical role in chronic illness care, taking on multifaceted responsibilities that include both medical and non-medical tasks. A variety of technologies have been developed to help caregivers manage the physical and emotional strain of their daily lives. However, existing technologies are not designed to support collaborative caregiving, which contributes to the burden on primary caregivers who often feel solely responsible. This study is part of a larger research project that includes design probes, interviews, and iterative design. In this paper, we report on an iterative design process aimed at generating design concepts, which led to two low-fidelity prototypes: ‘Active Support’ and ‘Reflective Caregiving Tracker.’ We discuss design opportunities to alleviate caregiver guilt and the burden of sole responsibility. Findings from this study will inform the next iteration of our design, which will involve a feasibility test with a large number of family caregivers and healthcare providers.