Use of matchmaking platforms for informal helpers in home care
Duration: October 2022 – October 2023
Increasing numbers of people requiring care wish to be cared for in their own homes. Many different groups of people are involved in this process. Besides family, friends and neighbours, official providers such as outpatient services often assist. In addition, more and more platforms and other service providers are now available to provide supplementary informal help from committed people to carers or people with care and support needs. This voluntary support often includes help around the house, visiting services or shopping assistance. In the NuVe research project, we are interested in these options for matching dedicated assistants with the people who make use of their support.
One way of accessing these support services is through online platforms that use digital interfaces and matching software to connect volunteers with those seeking help. So far, however, hardly any empirically verified findings have been offered on the actual benefits of these kinds of matchmaking services in general and digitally supported options in particular.
In this project, we therefore ask what benefits the various people involved attribute to matchmaking tools, especially digitally supported ones, by interviewing platform providers and matchmakers, voluntary helpers and the people receiving support, along with carers and people receiving or seeking care, within the framework of a study. The study thus makes an empirical contribution towards ascertaining the benefits that can be attributed to digital matchmaking services from different perspectives. It is of particular interest to identify the relevant conditions and factors that can influence the take-up and success of these helper referral services, along with the implicit or explicit benefits that arise for those involved.
