Technology and Aging
Product, System, Service @ Institute without Boundaries
“How might we leverage technology to design a product for older adults to combat loneliness?”
Statistically, females outlive their male partners. As widows, female older adults living alone may succumb to feelings of loneliness without the companionship of someone with whom to talk and conduct their daily activities. This loneliness can lead to low energy, loss of enjoyment of life, and ultimately, depression. The female-to-male ratio of depression is about 2:1.
Our team of 2 was tasked to design a healthcare intervention to facilitate older adults Living and Aging in Place. We have hence selected our focus on mental well-being, particularly social isolation related to major change of events in older adults.
My Roles: Design researcher, user researcher, interface designer, prototype designer, co-facilitator
Duration: 1 month
Recognition: Reviewed by a panel of Age-Well advisors, CEO of Rakuten Kobo, design industry professionals, and the Canadian aging industry professionals
Research
Cycle of depression
The stress of losing a loved one may cause negative thoughts, feelings, and even physical symptoms. Additionally, it increases negative behavioural responses. These behavioural responses then trigger or contribute to more stressors, and the cycle continues.
While depression may not be avoided in all instances, we can offer a new mitigation tool to help prevent these female widows from falling into depression.
Intervention
We’ve identified access points for intervention so that female widows can have the right support and service when and where they need them, may decrease negative thoughts, feelings, and physical symptoms that may lead to depression; in turn, reduce the need for medication or reliance on the healthcare system.
Approach
Our team investigated the problem and root cause associated to older adults who are socially isolated at home. Through extensive secondary research on academic articles and primary research with older adults living alone, we gained an in-depth understanding of why older adult feel lonely and explored ways to help older adults circumvent feeling of loneliness.
Persona
Our team has selected a female persona because our research showed that
females live longer than males
more widows are females than male
females require formal care (versus men require informal care)
The key persona to this design – Lola, was hence developed.
Lola, 75 years old, female
physically healthy
lives alone, adult children do not live near-by
experiences moments of loneliness
minimal tech savviness but is interested in learning
"I’ve been so sad ever since my husband passed away last month. We were together for 50 years and now I am alone with a broken heart.”
Prototype
First prototype of the concept started off with just paper and pen. We wanted to create a service that older adults can comfortably use and is familiar them. Hence, we create a service tool kit called Dear Lola – a penpal service for older adults living alone.
With no complicated technology requirement, older adults can access this service toolkit in their mail. A penpal of similar interest would be paired with them so they can create relationships despite living alone at home. Inside the kit they may find decorative paper, stationery for letter writing.
Me and my project partner prototyped the service and sent letters to each other to test out the desirability our concept. We most felt greatly appreciative of each of our letters and so we thought we could carry this concept forward so older adults may benefit from it too.
Project Outcome
After repeated iteration of our concept we developed Dear Diary – a digital product made with women in mind.
Dear Diary makes the promise to provide older female adults the right support and services at the right time. We can prevent depression in older female adults without need for medication or reliance on the healthcare system, reduce their feelings of loneliness and burden on loved ones, and subsequently, support them to age in place independently for as long as they wish and are able.
In our presentation we utilized storytelling and user persona. The result was greatly positive.
Dear Diary offers these women a new opportunity to express and understand their emotions, interact with others in a meaningful way, and is simple and convenient, offering them a sense of connection, bringing a sense of hope and purpose into their lives.