Comprehension

In-home companionship care includes activities such as:

• Playing games, telling stories and help with reading
• Crafts, like scrapbooking and collages
• Maintaining calendars and organizing social engagements
• Planning trips outside of the home
• Assisting with personal tasks
• Engaging in meaningful conversation

A helpful and friendly companion has a unique influence on a senior’s quality of life. In many cases, after a few visits from a companion, the senior is much more willing to initiate activities and accomplish tasks independently. 

Some previous methods/devices invented to deal with this problem:

1. Saregama Carvaan

Design insights:

A first look at Saregama’s Carvaan and you would be filled with doubt as to why a veteran music company would launch a product that is easily half a decade behind in technology. Intuitively, this would have been an absolute reject in the age of video and music streaming services.

Mr. Damani with Saregama Carvaan

2. Families In Touch  (FIT) Product

Design Insights:

The design solution consisted of a wooden picture frame incorporating a touch screen display surrounded by LEDs as new message indicators, and asynchronous messaging capability leveraging tactile interaction. When the senior touches the frame, a family member may receive an email to indicate that their relative was thinking of them, and access a web site to respond with a video message. The video was then transmitted to the frame and the LEDs’ glow invited the senior to touch the frame, their touch commencing the video playback. The design focused on creating an asynchronous, unobtrusive communication a tool with a simple interface and tactile user experience.

References:

https://www.chosenfamilyhomecare.com/5-technologies-to-combat-senior-loneliness1689-2/

https://www.seniorcare.com/featured/aging-alone-study/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272353495_Technology_to_reduce_social_isolation_and_loneliness