This project is to understand the caregiving process and seek healthcare design opportunities to provide mental and physical health to elderly loved ones, and prioritize caregivers’ self care.
Project Introduction
Project Category: Design Research
Project Duration: 10 weeks
Team Members: Jingdian Li | Elijah
Corinne Brady
Yaritza Chavez
Emmie Fister
My Role: User Research, Prototying
Project Duration: 10 weeks
Team Members: Jingdian Li | Elijah
Corinne Brady
Yaritza Chavez
Emmie Fister
My Role: User Research, Prototying
Research Interview Platform:
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Project Brief
We set out to better understand
the caregiving experience
and explore
the use of Healthcare in order
to improve mental and physical health to caregivers and their loved ones.
the caregiving experience
and explore
the use of Healthcare in order
to improve mental and physical health to caregivers and their loved ones.
Research Methodology
Exploratory Research
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Insights Synthesis
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Prototypes
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User Look Feedback
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Next Steps
︎︎︎
Reflections
︎︎︎
Insights Synthesis
︎︎︎
Prototypes
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User Look Feedback
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Next Steps
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Reflections
Research from the first round of scouts to inform initial insights and prototypes.
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Insights from first round of interviews and how they informed HMWs and prototypes.
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The storyboards and other mockups that drove the user look and garnered feedback.
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Synthesis of feedback gathered from second round of dscout interviews
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The next steps for the prototypes and how they could be improved.
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What would be done differently in the future in terms of the process and research.
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Insights from first round of interviews and how they informed HMWs and prototypes.
︎︎︎
The storyboards and other mockups that drove the user look and garnered feedback.
︎︎︎
Synthesis of feedback gathered from second round of dscout interviews
︎︎︎
The next steps for the prototypes and how they could be improved.
︎︎︎
What would be done differently in the future in terms of the process and research.
Research Scouts
Erin
Gurpreet
Fatima
Chantel
Gurpreet
Fatima
Chantel
41 year-old caregiver for both parents who have cognitive and physical disabilities
46 year-old caregiver for 74 year-old mother who has difficulty with movement
20 year-old caregiver for both parents and her child
31 year-old caregiver for her mother who has cognitive and physical difficulties
46 year-old caregiver for 74 year-old mother who has difficulty with movement
20 year-old caregiver for both parents and her child
31 year-old caregiver for her mother who has cognitive and physical difficulties
Exploratory Research
︎ Both parties (caregiver and senior) lack adequate mental health support, self-care and quality time spent with each other.
As caregiving tasks are mentally challenging in terms of conflicts in schedules, lack of personal time and failure to cherish the time spent together, both caregivers and seniors requires mental support and means to fulfill their self-care and quality time.
As caregiving tasks are mentally challenging in terms of conflicts in schedules, lack of personal time and failure to cherish the time spent together, both caregivers and seniors requires mental support and means to fulfill their self-care and quality time.
“I typically internalize my stress, which makes my anxiety worse.”
- Chantel
“I feel like they need me, and I feel guilty leaving them.”
- Fatima
- Chantel
“I feel like they need me, and I feel guilty leaving them.”
- Fatima
︎ Elders crave a sense of independence as their abilities decline.
Aging is tough. Mentally grasping the fact that your mind and body do not work the same way that they had 20+ years ago is difficult to accept. These major individual physical changes paired with a caregivers overwhelming urge to help out leave loved ones feeling suffocated.
“They’re mildly active - like to do things and sometimes forget that they are not as capable as they used to be.”
- Fatima
︎ It can become unclear when a caregiver is acting as a family member or as a caregiver and both parties’ wants do not align.
Switching roles between caregivers and family members can be really challenging, such as parent and child relationship can compromise the effectiveness when caregivers are carrying out their tasks. This results in both of their needs and wants not aligned.
“If parents are resistant to medication I don’t push too hard for them to take it …. let them have their way.”
- Fatima
“I am no longer the child needing to be taken care of by her parents.”
- Erin
“I had to encourage her that it was the right thing to do.”
- Gurpreet on taking his mom to ER
︎ There is muddy communication among doctors, caregivers, and loved ones.
Caregivers and seniors especially often forget doctor’s instructions and current debrief chart doesn’t provide the reason behind all tests and prescriptions. Seniors would also like to have an elderly-friendly designed doctor’s notes with bolder visuals and simpler instructions.
“When my brother takes my parents to the doctor … he relays all the information about why they were at the doctor, what the doctor said, what prescriptions were prescribed, how often to take each medication, so that I can help administer the medication correctly.”
- Fatima
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Self-Actualization
Aesthetic Needs
Cognitive Needs
Esteem Needs
Love and Belongingness
Safety Needs
Physiological Needs
Aesthetic Needs
Cognitive Needs
Esteem Needs
Love and Belongingness
Safety Needs
Physiological Needs
︎ Caregivers need validation that they were doing a good job. (Need to Address)
︎ Caregivers were seeking acceptance and trust from their loved ones.
︎ Caregivers needed protection from threats that could impact their loved ones.
How might we...
How might we provide mental health support to caregivers?
How might we provide elders with a sense of independence while receiving adequate care?
How might we encourage effective communication between caregivers, loved ones, and healthcare providers?
How might we make caregiving tasks feel like quality time?
How might we provide elders with a sense of independence while receiving adequate care?
How might we encourage effective communication between caregivers, loved ones, and healthcare providers?
How might we make caregiving tasks feel like quality time?
Prototypes
Post Visit Note
Caregiver Connection App
Care Workbook
Community
User Looks
-Research Scouts
-Research Scouts
Devin
Sheri
Carolyn
Sheri
Carolyn
35 year-old caregiver for mother-in-law, who has a career in professional caregiving
56 year-old caregiver for parents, whose former career was a patient advocate
46 year-old caregiver for father, who had a career in customer service
56 year-old caregiver for parents, whose former career was a patient advocate
46 year-old caregiver for father, who had a career in customer service
Prototypes Feedback
︎ Caregivers want transparency when it comes to the treatment their loved one receives.
Caregivers and loved ones are often unsure about what the benefits the treatments offer after their visit.
︎ Users want to keep physical records of medical visits.
No matter how long ago the visit was, caregivers want to keep physical copies for their records.
Caregivers and loved ones are often unsure about what the benefits the treatments offer after their visit.
︎ Users want to keep physical records of medical visits.
No matter how long ago the visit was, caregivers want to keep physical copies for their records.
“I know when my dad's in the hospital and I'm not fully kept in the loop by the hospital staff.”
- Carolyn
“I know that's something that the caregiver would probably be really appreciative to have.”
- Devin
- Carolyn
“I know that's something that the caregiver would probably be really appreciative to have.”
- Devin
︎ Caregivers are very mindful of the people they want to connect with
Caregivers want to find not just other caregivers, but other caregivers who are caring for loved ones with the same condition.
︎ The demands of caregiving depend on the condition of the loved one
The loved ones being cared for are all in a different stages of aging and have different physical and mental abilities, which greatly influences the emotional and physical involvement of the caregiver.
“I didn't want care.com. I wanted somebody who is more professional who can handle things… It depends on the kind of people that you're connecting with.”
- Carolyn
“Definitely being able to network with other people that are in a similar situation is you… who might be able to make suggestions for doctors they have tried that have worked out well.”
- Devin
︎ Caregivers needs fluctuate based on experience
As a caregiver gains more experience, they present different needs than caregivers who are just starting out.
︎ Structure and routine is really important in caregiving
Caregivers use routines to balance their caregiving tasks with their other responsibilities.
“I would have wanted something like this when I was first starting out but now I don’t think I need it.”
- Carolyn
“Structure in our household is a really big deal. time and structure. And I think incorporating something like that into it as part of this structure would be very positive.”
- Sheri
︎ Caregivers approach problems with a technical approach first rather than an emotional approach
Even when presented with an idea that was fully focused on mental health, caregivers looked at it through the lens of getting technical information.
︎ Loved ones are all at different stages of aging which impacts their abilities
The loved ones being cared for are all in a different stages of aging and have different physical and mental abilities.
“[I would like] a guided discussion on specific topics that are that are relative to what the caregivers are going through.”
- Sheri
“Especially for people who have memory loss … we'll just do different things, you know. So it's good to have something that's consistent.”
- Devin
After User Look,
How Might We...
How Might We...
How might we design something that creates transparency of the treatment the loved one receives for caregivers?
How might we maintain encouragement and support for caregivers in all stages of their caregiving journey?
How might we create something that fits into the current routines of caregivers?
How might we design something that fits into the needs of a caregiver at any stage of their caregiving journey?
How might we provide a mental break from caregiving while also providing more technical information and caregiving advice?
How might we maintain encouragement and support for caregivers in all stages of their caregiving journey?
How might we create something that fits into the current routines of caregivers?
How might we design something that fits into the needs of a caregiver at any stage of their caregiving journey?
How might we provide a mental break from caregiving while also providing more technical information and caregiving advice?
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Self-Actualization
Aesthetic Needs
Cognitive Needs
Esteem Needs
Love and Belongingness
Safety Needs
Physiological Needs
Aesthetic Needs
Cognitive Needs
Esteem Needs
Love and Belongingness
Safety Needs
Physiological Needs
︎ Caregivers value a more educational and technical approach to solution prototypes that were originally developed to have a focus on mental health.
︎ Caregivers need validation that they were doing a good job.
︎ Caregivers were seeking acceptance and trust from their loved ones.
︎ Caregivers needed protection from threats that could impact their loved ones.
Next Steps
Post Visit Note
- Focus on new information and medications, and includes conversations had during the appointment.
- Find potential opportunities to form consistency among all healthcare systems.
Caregiver Connection App
- Add more direct features for connection to healthcare professionals.
- Find respite care for loved ones.
- Further explore the current online options there are for caregivers to connect with each other and healthcare professionals to understand new value added.
Care Workbooks
- Inclusive carebooks for loved ones of all abilities.
- Understand how workbooks can adapt with caregivers’ and loved ones’ needs.
Community Group
- Brainstorm activities that are inclusive for different conditions for loves ones.
- Brainstorm how we can form community groups in rural areas.
- Incorporate healthcare providers and caregiving experts.
Reflections
Speaking to healthcare professionals
If we could schedule more interviews, we would like to speak to healthcare providers to gain insights into their experiences as well as better understand how we could fit our solutions into existing systems.
Capturing all stages of the caregiving journey
After user looks, we realized that the needs of caregivers change depending on how experienced they are. If we could go back, we would have interviewed more people in the beginning stages of their caregiving journey as well as spent more time interviewing the professional caregivers we came across in our second round of interviews.
Pivoting our initial discussion guide to include more than just typical healthcare
We centered our discussion guide around pharmacy trips and doctors appointments initially. We quickly realized that caregiving and healthcare encompassed much more such as hygiene, diet and what we ultimately landed on, mental health.
Thank you!
Caregiving/Healthcare - Jingdian Li | Elijah