Population aging and the role of informal carers

The Czech Republic is facing a significant demographic trend of population aging, which will have a major impact on the structure of social and health services. Although informal carers - i.e. people who care for their loved ones without a formal employment contract - now provide around 80% of care for the elderly, they are not sufficiently supported by the system. Their role is often overlooked, even in national policy documents.

Carers often face mental and physical overload, economic disadvantage, lack of information, and social isolation. This project responds to the need for change—systemic recognition and support for this group, which will be crucial for the future functioning of care for the elderly in natural environments.

We seek to create the foundations for a sustainable, community-based system of support for informal carers. The main focus of the project is to research, develop and test social innovations that reflect the real needs of carers. These innovations have not only a technological but also a strong social dimension.

We bring together academic experts from Masaryk University, non-profit sector and public administration to develop new tools, practices and strategies. The participation of caregivers themselves also plays an important role - their experience and perspectives are key to creating workable solutions.

We use innovative speculative and transitive design approaches to imagine future models of care and test them in practice. Implementation will take the form of:

• Participatory workshops involving carers themselves, experts and public administration representatives
• Developing and testing new tools and services that respond to the specific needs of target groups
• Collaborating with experts from the fields of information studies, social sciences and technological development
• Creating analytical and strategic documents that will serve as a basis for changes in public policies

Testing technological innovations (e.g. The project has a strong interdisciplinary anchorage and emphasises practical impact - not only academic research, but more importantly real change.

For informal carers, the project is an opportunity to improve their quality of life. It brings the hope of greater recognition of their work, better access to information, tools and services, and thus a reduction in the psychological and physical burden. The project can contribute to the creation of systemic support for carers, influence public policy-making and open the way to better access to innovative solutions in social care. For the public, it also brings new perspectives on the topic of aging and intergenerational solidarity.

The project is now up and running. Implementation started in September 2024 and will run until August 2026. The methodology, partner involvement, and activity planning are currently underway. The project team is assembled and ready to implement workshops, research activities, and the development of practical tools to support carers.