Digital tools and greener practices among informal caregivers of older adults in Europe

Background

Informal caregivers are central to long-term care for older adults, yet little is known about how digital caregiving tools relate to environmentally sustainable practices. This study examined the association between digital tool use and eco-friendly behaviors among informal caregivers of adults aged 65+ in the European Union, and whether this association varies by behavior type.

Methods

We used data from the Survey of Gender Gaps in Unpaid Care, Individual and Social Activities project, including 5,761 informal caregivers of older adults. The main explanatory variable was frequency of digital tool use for caregiving. Outcomes captured environmentally sustainable behaviors across consumption, waste management, transportation, recycling, and resource conservation. The analysis was informed by the Social-Ecological-Infrastructural Systems framework and the Theory of Planned Behavior.

Results

More frequent digital tool use was positively associated with environmentally sustainable behaviors (ρ = 0.28, p < 0.001). Daily users of digital tools scored 22% higher on the overall environmentally sustainable behavior score than non-users. Associations were strongest for consumption-related behaviors, moderate for waste management and transportation choices, and weakest for recycling (ρ = 0.05) and resource conservation (ρ = 0.06), suggesting that digital engagement is more closely linked to some sustainability practices than to others.

Conclusions

The findings highlight important connections between digital and environmental transitions in long-term care. Digital tools may support greener caregiving by improving access to environmental information, reinforcing sustainable norms through online caregiver communities, and increasing perceived behavioral control by making eco-friendly options easier to identify and implement. Policies promoting digital innovation in care should therefore consider its potential contribution to more sustainable caregiving practices.

Key messages

• Digital tool use among informal caregivers was positively associated with environmentally sustainable caregiving behaviors.

• Digital innovation in long-term care may also support greener caregiving practices, especially through consumption-related behaviors.