# What we think? Our take on issues affecting the **caregiving** community is frequently published on our [Substack](https://fieldworker.substack.com/). We published recent changes in technology, social settings, and regulations to predict how caregiving might be affected in 2026. > Caregiving—support provided to people who need assistance due to aging, disability, chronic illness, mental health conditions, or recovery from acute events—is a cornerstone of health and social systems. This paper summarizes the state of the art in caregiving practice and research, focusing on the shifting mix of informal (family/friend) and formal (paid) care, advances in care coordination and home-based services, the growing role of digital tools, and persistent challenges including workforce shortages, caregiver burden, inequities, and fragmented financing. We highlight emerging models that integrate medical and social care, measure outcomes that matter to care recipients and caregivers, and improve safety and dignity in the home and community. {% file src="/files/kkj04BEQrsSdvoPozEN1" %} ### Technology & Caregiving Technology is already improving caregiving, but the current state is best described as **promising and uneven** rather than fully mature. The strongest evidence now is for AI and LLMs as support tools for caregiver training, care coordination, monitoring, and communication, while the main risks remain accuracy, privacy, and overreliance on AI. AI is increasingly being used to personalize care plans, flag risks earlier, support remote monitoring, and reduce routine admin work for caregivers. In senior and home care, examples include predictive analytics, smart-home sensors, virtual assistants, and robotic companions that help with medication reminders, daily routines, and early warning signals. In practice, this can free caregivers to focus more on hands-on and emotional support rather than constant supervision. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://fieldworker.gitbook.io/fieldworker-docs/overview/what-we-think.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.