As caregivers provide physical and emotional support to loved ones, they need to know they’re not alone, says the OCO.Getty Images
Earlier this year, staff at the Ontario Caregiver Organization (OCO) noticed an unusual shift in their website traffic. Visitors were still discovering the homepage, but numbers had slowed compared with previous years.
It raised alarm bells: Were caregivers finding the help they needed from reputable sources?
OCO is a Toronto-based charitable organization that provides services to Ontario’s four-million caregivers, defined as anyone providing support to a loved one dealing with a health condition, a disability or an age-related need. People often fail to recognize themselves as caregivers. “They say they’re showing up to do what needs to be done,” says Danielle Cowen, OCO’s executive communications lead.
OCO says the number of caregivers in Ontario is expected to climb to 6.5 million by 2030. The organization aims to ensure its information and free supports and services are easily and widely discoverable. Artificial intelligence is changing the process, says Ms. Cowen, adding it may be a reason for the drop in the OCO’s website traffic.
In this “zero-click world,” she says, users don’t need to visit a website because AI tools can quickly scan and summarize the information they seek. For overstretched caregivers already juggling doctor’s appointments, medication schedules and daily care, it’s easy to see the appeal of an AI agent like ChatGPT.
For OCO, whose core work is information-sharing, the shift toward AI poses a communications challenge. “We have this sort of interface that’s happening in between OCO and the caregiver,” Ms. Cowen says.
In response, the team restructured its online content for generative engine optimization (GEO). The changes have made OCO’s information easier for AI tools to “crawl,” picking up and sharing content with caregivers who, in the past, may have reached the website through a traditional online search.
GEO requires information to be as clear as possible, which means adding things like a frequently asked questions section, or publishing one-page fact sheets, Ms. Cowen says. The team is also thinking about how media coverage can help build credibility through third-party references, which large language models (LLMs) pull from when generating answers.
OCO is quick to note that it is not creating AI-generated caregiver content itself. The organization works closely with its clients to ensure all its materials reflect their real-life experiences.
A group of OCO colleagues, including the CEO, meet weekly to discuss AI before bringing their learnings to the whole team. They want to give staff the space to understand both the possibilities and the risks of AI. “We are cautious about the use of AI, as we all should be,” Ms. Cowen says.
OCO’s experience is typical, says Dr. Sima Sajjadiani, an assistant professor in the Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources Division at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business. “We’re in the learning and adjustment period, with a ton of uncertainty going on.”
Across sectors, organizations are trying to understand where AI can help and where human judgment remains critical. OCO’s work to reach caregivers shows the kind of ingenuity still required from people, Dr. Sajjadiani says.
While AI may help caregivers find OCO, Ms. Cowen says the support they receive once they arrive is rooted in human relationships, with a 24/7 helpline, peer support, coaching and more. “Caregiving is such deeply human work,” she says. “Caregivers need to feel heard and connected. AI will never replace that.”