Digital Risks as Experienced by Social Care Workers in Assisted Living

The intensification of digital-by-default society has generated new risks for individuals. The use of digital services involves risks that can lead to unpredictable and undesirable results for individuals and organizations. Drawing on concepts from Beck’s critical theory of the risk society, this study examines what kind of professional risks digitalization of society causes for social care workers working with mental health rehabilitees in assisted living. The research data (seven focus group interviews of the social care workers, 36 participants) was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The results show that digitalization causes risks which materialize in professional practices. The social care workers find themselves in challenging professional and ethical situations in which the professional values collide with the changes of work that digitalization has brought forth. Since the clients are unable to use digital services independently, the social care workers are balancing between maintaining or crossing professional boundaries, especially when providing digital support for the clients. The study reveals that digital risks, conceptualized as “professional individualization”, are encountered and managed individually in a professional context. The effects of digitalization and digital risks for social care work should be acknowledged, addressed and provided with adequate professional solutions and guidelines.