Assisting care recipients with dementia in accessing and using their online financial accounts: practices of caregivers

Online accounts such as e-commerce accounts, social media, and email and are not designed for use by people who are experiencing dementia. As the disease progresses, they will begin to require assistance from their caregiver to continue accessing and using their online accounts. This puts caregivers in the difficult position of having to balance their care recipient’s safety and autonomy. This scoping review details five key themes which emerged linked to caregivers assisting their care recipient in using their online accounts: the adverse event; the transition; collaborative financial actions between caregiver and care recipient; balancing autonomy, safety and privacy; and the risks of existing practices. We find that caregivers implement a wide range of online safety strategies when assisting online, but that these strategies often have negative implications for the care recipient’s independence and privacy. We also identify the shortcomings of online accounts when it comes to providing appropriate access levels for people with dementia.