
A thesis study (2024) explored caregivers’ attitudes and perceptions towards YetiCare and its gigantic Yetitablet. The goal was to understand caregiver perspectives on the usability of technology designed to promote activity in elderly care. The study revealed a notable change in caregivers’ attitudes—initial scepticism evolved into strong recommendations for using YetiCare technology.
Survey of caregivers’ opinions after the intervention
The study was conducted in two nursing homes in the Oulu region and aimed to understand how caregivers in 24/7 assisted living facilities received and utilised technology designed to activate elderly residents. The research focused on caregivers’ backgrounds, initial attitudes towards the Yetitablet, experiences during the intervention, and opinions on its suitability for elderly care.
The study involved a semi-structured paper questionnaire, allowing caregivers approximately one week to respond. Eleven caregivers participated. During the 12-week intervention, a large-size Yetitablet was provided in both nursing homes.
Concerns about technology in elderly care environments
Technology in elderly care often raises concerns and fears. Earlier studies show that caregivers experience increasing ethical pressure in their work and hope technology will ease their heavy workloads in a fast-paced environment. However, learning and implementing new devices takes time, and caregivers are reluctant to compromise on providing empathetic, person-centred care.
Technological tools are often met with hesitation and even fear due to various concerns. One of these is the fear of an increased workload. Another doubts their personal competence levels, and the third might ponder about the reliability of the devices. Connectivity issues and cybersecurity threats are also seen as risks.
Interestingly, older people are open to trying new technology if it is perceived as helpful to do daily tasks. However, successful technology implementation requires ongoing development, training, monitoring, and maintenance, which are often overlooked in today’s increasingly tech-driven world.
User experiences shape perspectives
The study results indicate that caregivers in nursing homes generally have a positive and curious attitude towards technology designed for elderly care. They are eager to try new tools that can help motivate and engage residents to participate in activities, move, and maintain their functional capacity. Some reservations were observed, particularly among senior caregivers, regarding their and older people’s ability to use the technology effectively.
Interestingly, the level of education or years of experience in elderly care did not influence attitudes toward technology in this study. All participants found Yetitablet user-friendly, with most caregivers noting that organising activities for residents was quick and easy. Several games emerged as favourites among users.

The shift in attitudes
The most notable outcome of the study was the change in caregivers’ attitudes. Initially, some caregivers were neutral or sceptical about technology:
“I was very suspicious, thinking that people of this age wouldn’t know how to use this or be interested in this kind of modern ‘nonsense.’”
These attitudes reflected doubts about the people’s interest and competence in using the device and concerns about the learning curve for new tools. However, after regular use during the intervention, caregivers began to see the benefits. Many observed that the residents were enthusiastic about playing games and demonstrated significant skill in using the device.
“I was surprised by how residents participated in games. It also surprised me how well they answered trivia questions—much better than I expected. Overall, I was positively surprised.“
“I was surprised by how residents participated in games. It also surprised me how well they answered trivia questions—much better than I expected. Overall, I was positively surprised.”
Caregiver
Elderly residents excelled at trivia, word, memory, and motor skill games, often exceeding caregivers’ expectations. Regular engagement was found to have positive effects on both physical and social functioning. Caregivers praised the tablet’s user-friendliness, clear display, and portability. All participants agreed that Yetitablet with YetiCare is well-suited for everyday use in elderly care.
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Source: Vuotila Marika (2024): Caregivers´ attitudes towards technology aimed at elderly people in round-the-clock service housing – Usability of technology in the planning and implementation of activities
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