VALUE-INSPIRED ELDERLY CARE SERVICE DESIGN FOR AGING-IN-PLACE

Most current projects aimed at in-home monitoring for the elderly appear to focus on demonstrating technical feasibility and ensuring safety. In doing so, they often overlook the complexity of the interactions between the elderly and the caregivers. This study explores this complexity by adopting a value-inspired design perspective. Following an action design method, we describe the (re)design of the system and service protocol for an elderly-home monitoring effort. The work requires that we leverage the capabilities (of the technological infrastructure system as well as the service providers) to reconcile the values held by the participants (the elderly and their caregivers). We report design principles developed via this effort, and show that they can enhance the outcomes in such projects

AGEnda for Action: Building a Movement for Elder Women's Advocacy

Based on community listening sessions and interviews, outlines the priority issues for elder women in California and the insights of policy makers and advocates. Offers recommendations and an action agenda for funders, policy makers, and community groups

Spartan Daily, April 20, 2009

Volume 132, Issue 41https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/10578/thumbnail.jp

Action Design Research for Social Innovation: Lessons from Designing a Health and Wellbeing Platform

IT artifacts play an important role in solving societal problems and realizing social innovations. Existing practice-inspired design science research (DSR) approaches, such as Action Design Research (ADR), do not consider social innovation as an explicit starting point for design iterations. In this paper, we explore how social innovation as a starting point affects the ADR approach. By reflecting on a three-year long ADR project in the domain of health and wellbeing, we suggest four principles to extend the ADR approach: (1) Translate a societal problem into practical problems on a stakeholder-level; (2) Reciprocal shaping between social practices and the IT artifact; (3) Involve citizens early and throughout the project; and (4) Balance political, economic and societal values for evaluating ADR results

Delivering elder-care environments utilizing TV-channel based mechanisms

In this paper, we present a smart environment for elderly. What makes the development of such system challenging is that the concept of smartness for elderly brings to the extreme the idea of invisibility of the technology. In our experience, elders are well-disposed to new technologies, provided that those will not require significant changes - namely, they are invisible - to their habits. Starting from this consideration, 200 caregivers responses were collected by questionnaire, so as to better understand elders' needs and habits. A system was subsequently developed allowing elders to access a number of "modern web services" as standard TV channels: at channel 43 there is the health status, at channel 45 the photos of the family, at 46 the agenda of the week, just to mention few of the available services. The content of such services is automatically generated by the smart devices in the environment and is managed by the caregivers (e.g., family members) by simple web apps. Fourteen families were asked to install the system in their house. The results of these experiments confirm that the proposed system is considered effective and user-friendly by elders

Contemporary elderly housing in China and Europe : architecture refurbishing and emotional design

This thesis is written under the background of Chinese society. Architecture always develops with adaption to the desires of society. Design is a way to satisfy these social desires. Currently, China is suffering from the aging problems, both of growing aging population and living space quality. Aging problems are calling for more life supports and cares in living space, ensuring the elderly to have a better and healthier life. In addition, China is experiencing big revolutions of architecture. Architecture design is changing the focus from economic factors to humanistic-concerns. Contemporary space is not only a physical object to use, but also a place to experience. In contemporary elderly housing, apart from physical care, emotional care is expected to provide places where the elderly could live safely and happily. Based on series studies of Chinese social situations and problems, this thesis tries to put forward refurbishing and emotional design as new development directions for Chinese contemporary elderly housing adapted to Chinese society. Comparative methodology is applied between Europe and China. European experiences of emotional design in elderly housing refurbishing are studied in both theoretical and practical fields. In the study process, phenomenology are applied as a philosophical way to analyze the relations among human’s perception, emotion and space and to find the nature and meanings of architecture spaces, providing evidence to show the importance of emotional design for the Chinese elderly as well as the society. Emotional design theories of Norman are analyzed to find how to make effective involvements from different levels between objects and human’s emotions, providing basic methodology for emotional design in elderly housing. Apart from these basic studies, specific researches on methodology of emotional design in Chinese contemporary elderly housing refurbishing are realized. Heidegger’s thoughts are analyzed to find the core emotional requirements of living space. Living space originates from human’s desire of dwelling. It is a place that presents the own identities of a community, a place where the elderly could feel safe and free. Based on this concept, Norman’s emotional design approach is applied in architecture field as a guiding methodology to investigate all the possible ways to create effective interactions between the elderly’s emotion and architecture. Corresponding to three emotional involvement levels of visceral, behavior and reflective, architecture could make emotional affect from appearance, functions, and reflections of culture, art and personal value. Related European cases are studied from these three aspects to find the possible ways to realize emotional design in elderly housing, which could provide suggestions to Chinese contemporary elderly housing refurbishing. For Chinese cases, inheriting Chinese cultural identities is particularly discussed. Chinese culture affects a lot Chinese life styles, their perceptions and understanding of the reality. Inheritage of culture generates great and positive emotional resonance for the Chinese elderly. Emotional design and refurbishment in Chinese contemporary elderly housing should be realized with respect to the culture identities. By analyzing the essence of Chinese culture and contemporary architecture cases of Wang Shu, this thesis is trying to find architectural ways to inherit, develop and integrate the essence of Chinese culture in our present time.La tesis está escrita bajo la sociedad china. La arquitectura siempre se desarrolla adaptada a los deseos de la sociedad. El diseño es una forma de expresar y satisfacer los deseos sociales. Hoy en día, China está sufriendo problemas de envejecimiento, tanto por la población como por las cualidades del espacio. Los problemas de envejecimiento exigen más apoyo y cuidados en el espacio vital, lo que garantiza que los ancianos tengan una vida mejor y más saludable. Además, China está pasando grandes revoluciones en su arquitectura. El enfoque arquitectónico ha cambiado pasando de los factores económicos a las preocupaciones humanísticas. El espacio contemporáneo no es solo un objeto físico para usar, sino también un lugar para sentir. Además de los cuidados físicos, la gente mayor está esperando un espacio con más cuidados emocionales donde puedan vivir segura y feliz. Basada en los estudios de problemas y situaciones sociales de China, esta tesis intenta presentar el diseño emocional y rehabilitación como nuevas direcciones de desarrollar las viviendas contemporáneas para gente mayor adaptadas a la sociedad china. Se aplica una metodología comparativa entre Europa y China. Las experiencias europeas de diseño emocional en la rehabilitación de viviendas para gente mayor se estudian tanto en teórica como prácticamente. En este proceso, se aplica la fenomenología como forma de filosofía para analizar las relaciones entre la percepción humana, la emoción y el espacio, así como también para descubrir la naturaleza y el significado de ese espacio, ofreciendo evidencia para mostrar la importancia del diseño emocional para la gente mayor, así como para la sociedad china. Con objeto de investigar la interacción entre los objetos y las emociones humanas, se analice principalmente a las teorías sobre diseño emocional de Donald Norman; se implementa así una metodología básica aplicable al diseño emocional de las viviendas para gente mayor. A partir de estos estudios básicos, se realiza unas investigaciones específicas sobre la metodología del diseño emocional en la rehabilitación de viviendas contemporáneas para gente mayor en China. A partir de los análisis del pensamiento de Heidegger, encontramos cuáles son los requisitos emocionales básicos del espacio vital. El espacio vital se origina en el deseo humano de alojar. Es un lugar que presenta las identidades propias de una comunidad, donde los ancianos pueden sentirse seguros y libres. Basada en este concepto, la idea de Norman se aplica al campo arquitectónico como una metodología de guía para investigar todas las maneras posibles de crear interacciones efectivas entre la arquitectura y la emoción de la gente mayor. Correspondiendo a tres niveles de visceral, conductivo y reflexivo, la arquitectura generará efectos emocionales desde su apariencia, funciones y sus reflejos de la cultura, el arte y los propios valores personales. Los ejemplos europeos relacionados se estudian a partir de estos tres aspectos para encontrar posibles métodos de realización de diseños emocionales en viviendas para gente mayor, lo que podría ofrecer sugerencias para China. En el estudio de los casos chinos, se considerará especialmente la incidencia de la tradición cultural de China. La cultura china afecta los estilos de vida y su forma especifica de percepción y comprensión de la realidad. La correcta utilización e integración de las alusiones a la cultura tradicional en el diseño contemporáneo generará grandes y positivas respuestas emocionales en los ancianos chinos. El diseño emocional y la rehabilitación en viviendas contemporáneas para gente mayor deben realizarse con respecto a las identidades culturales. Con los análisis de la esencia de la cultura china y la arquitectura de WangShu, intenta encontrar formas y metodologías arquitectónicas capaces de integra y desarrollar la esencia de la cultura tradicional china en la época contemporánea.Postprint (published version

Contemporary elderly housing in China and Europe : architecture refurbishing and emotional design

This thesis is written under the background of Chinese society. Architecture always develops with adaption to the desires of society. Design is a way to satisfy these social desires. Currently, China is suffering from the aging problems, both of growing aging population and living space quality. Aging problems are calling for more life supports and cares in living space, ensuring the elderly to have a better and healthier life. In addition, China is experiencing big revolutions of architecture. Architecture design is changing the focus from economic factors to humanistic-concerns. Contemporary space is not only a physical object to use, but also a place to experience. In contemporary elderly housing, apart from physical care, emotional care is expected to provide places where the elderly could live safely and happily. Based on series studies of Chinese social situations and problems, this thesis tries to put forward refurbishing and emotional design as new development directions for Chinese contemporary elderly housing adapted to Chinese society. Comparative methodology is applied between Europe and China. European experiences of emotional design in elderly housing refurbishing are studied in both theoretical and practical fields. In the study process, phenomenology are applied as a philosophical way to analyze the relations among human’s perception, emotion and space and to find the nature and meanings of architecture spaces, providing evidence to show the importance of emotional design for the Chinese elderly as well as the society. Emotional design theories of Norman are analyzed to find how to make effective involvements from different levels between objects and human’s emotions, providing basic methodology for emotional design in elderly housing. Apart from these basic studies, specific researches on methodology of emotional design in Chinese contemporary elderly housing refurbishing are realized. Heidegger’s thoughts are analyzed to find the core emotional requirements of living space. Living space originates from human’s desire of dwelling. It is a place that presents the own identities of a community, a place where the elderly could feel safe and free. Based on this concept, Norman’s emotional design approach is applied in architecture field as a guiding methodology to investigate all the possible ways to create effective interactions between the elderly’s emotion and architecture. Corresponding to three emotional involvement levels of visceral, behavior and reflective, architecture could make emotional affect from appearance, functions, and reflections of culture, art and personal value. Related European cases are studied from these three aspects to find the possible ways to realize emotional design in elderly housing, which could provide suggestions to Chinese contemporary elderly housing refurbishing. For Chinese cases, inheriting Chinese cultural identities is particularly discussed. Chinese culture affects a lot Chinese life styles, their perceptions and understanding of the reality. Inheritage of culture generates great and positive emotional resonance for the Chinese elderly. Emotional design and refurbishment in Chinese contemporary elderly housing should be realized with respect to the culture identities. By analyzing the essence of Chinese culture and contemporary architecture cases of Wang Shu, this thesis is trying to find architectural ways to inherit, develop and integrate the essence of Chinese culture in our present time.La tesis está escrita bajo la sociedad china. La arquitectura siempre se desarrolla adaptada a los deseos de la sociedad. El diseño es una forma de expresar y satisfacer los deseos sociales. Hoy en día, China está sufriendo problemas de envejecimiento, tanto por la población como por las cualidades del espacio. Los problemas de envejecimiento exigen más apoyo y cuidados en el espacio vital, lo que garantiza que los ancianos tengan una vida mejor y más saludable. Además, China está pasando grandes revoluciones en su arquitectura. El enfoque arquitectónico ha cambiado pasando de los factores económicos a las preocupaciones humanísticas. El espacio contemporáneo no es solo un objeto físico para usar, sino también un lugar para sentir. Además de los cuidados físicos, la gente mayor está esperando un espacio con más cuidados emocionales donde puedan vivir segura y feliz. Basada en los estudios de problemas y situaciones sociales de China, esta tesis intenta presentar el diseño emocional y rehabilitación como nuevas direcciones de desarrollar las viviendas contemporáneas para gente mayor adaptadas a la sociedad china. Se aplica una metodología comparativa entre Europa y China. Las experiencias europeas de diseño emocional en la rehabilitación de viviendas para gente mayor se estudian tanto en teórica como prácticamente. En este proceso, se aplica la fenomenología como forma de filosofía para analizar las relaciones entre la percepción humana, la emoción y el espacio, así como también para descubrir la naturaleza y el significado de ese espacio, ofreciendo evidencia para mostrar la importancia del diseño emocional para la gente mayor, así como para la sociedad china. Con objeto de investigar la interacción entre los objetos y las emociones humanas, se analice principalmente a las teorías sobre diseño emocional de Donald Norman; se implementa así una metodología básica aplicable al diseño emocional de las viviendas para gente mayor. A partir de estos estudios básicos, se realiza unas investigaciones específicas sobre la metodología del diseño emocional en la rehabilitación de viviendas contemporáneas para gente mayor en China. A partir de los análisis del pensamiento de Heidegger, encontramos cuáles son los requisitos emocionales básicos del espacio vital. El espacio vital se origina en el deseo humano de alojar. Es un lugar que presenta las identidades propias de una comunidad, donde los ancianos pueden sentirse seguros y libres. Basada en este concepto, la idea de Norman se aplica al campo arquitectónico como una metodología de guía para investigar todas las maneras posibles de crear interacciones efectivas entre la arquitectura y la emoción de la gente mayor. Correspondiendo a tres niveles de visceral, conductivo y reflexivo, la arquitectura generará efectos emocionales desde su apariencia, funciones y sus reflejos de la cultura, el arte y los propios valores personales. Los ejemplos europeos relacionados se estudian a partir de estos tres aspectos para encontrar posibles métodos de realización de diseños emocionales en viviendas para gente mayor, lo que podría ofrecer sugerencias para China. En el estudio de los casos chinos, se considerará especialmente la incidencia de la tradición cultural de China. La cultura china afecta los estilos de vida y su forma especifica de percepción y comprensión de la realidad. La correcta utilización e integración de las alusiones a la cultura tradicional en el diseño contemporáneo generará grandes y positivas respuestas emocionales en los ancianos chinos. El diseño emocional y la rehabilitación en viviendas contemporáneas para gente mayor deben realizarse con respecto a las identidades culturales. Con los análisis de la esencia de la cultura china y la arquitectura de WangShu, intenta encontrar formas y metodologías arquitectónicas capaces de integra y desarrollar la esencia de la cultura tradicional china en la época contemporánea

Designing assisted living technologies 'in the wild' : preliminary experiences with cultural probe methodology

Background There is growing interest in assisted living technologies to support independence at home. Such technologies should ideally be designed ‘in the wild’ i.e. taking account of how real people live in real homes and communities. The ATHENE (Assistive Technologies for Healthy Living in Elders: Needs Assessment by Ethnography) project seeks to illuminate the living needs of older people and facilitate the co-production with older people of technologies and services. This paper describes the development of a cultural probe tool produced as part of the ATHENE project and how it was used to support home visit interviews with elders with a range of ethnic and social backgrounds, family circumstances, health conditions and assisted living needs. Method Thirty one people aged 60 to 98 were visited in their homes on three occasions. Following an initial interview, participants were given a set of cultural probe materials, including a digital camera and the ‘Home and Life Scrapbook’ to complete in their own time for one week. Activities within the Home and Life Scrapbook included maps (indicating their relationships to people, places and objects), lists (e.g. likes, dislikes, things they were concerned about, things they were comfortable with), wishes (things they wanted to change or improve), body outline (indicating symptoms or impairments), home plan (room layouts of their homes to indicate spaces and objects used) and a diary. After one week, the researcher and participant reviewed any digital photos taken and the content of the Home and Life Scrapbook as part of the home visit interview. Findings The cultural probe facilitated collection of visual, narrative and material data by older people, and appeared to generate high levels of engagement from some participants. However, others used the probe minimally or not at all for various reasons including limited literacy, physical problems (e.g. holding a pen), lack of time or energy, limited emotional or psychological resources, life events, and acute illness. Discussions between researchers and participants about the materials collected (and sometimes about what had prevented them completing the tasks) helped elicit further information relevant to assisted living technology design. The probe materials were particularly helpful when having conversations with non-English speaking participants through an interpreter. Conclusions Cultural probe methods can help build a rich picture of the lives and experiences of older people to facilitate the co-production of assisted living technologies. But their application may be constrained by the participant’s physical, mental and emotional capacity. They are most effective when used as a tool to facilitate communication and development of a deeper understanding of older people’s needs