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Building BridgesCreating Technology for Older Adults

Dr. Susan Squires

Senior Scientist

12 February 2009

Social Connection Strand

TRIL’s Social Connection Initiatives

Clinical and Social Assessment Goals

Collect quantitative data on over 600 older adults through the TRIL Clinic to understand the relationship between social engagement, loneliness, isolation and various indices of physical and mental health.

Understand potentially significant social, emotional and health markers for loneliness and isolation using quantitative and ethnographic approaches.

Older People who maintain social activity are better able to cope with the challenges of ageing. The Social Connections Strand is gaining a deeper understanding of the relationship between social engagement, and health, and finding effective technology interventions to lower the risks associated with loneliness and isolation.

Building Bridges Technology Development

Iteratively develop and evaluate technologies for older adults to improve social engagement and support healthy ageing.

Barriers to Technology Use

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Household Interviews

Literature and technical

Review

Technical Review

Service Provider

Interviews

TRIL CohortData

4 Household

Skype Study

Focus Groups

STAGE I:PRELIMINARY

RESEARCH

Block 1 Design

Contribution

Evaluation3 4 5

Stage1 Ethnodesign

1 2Download

Ideation Creation SpecificationDevelop

Workshops

The ‘field’ (real world)

STAGE 2: Design and Build

Building Bridges Home Deployments

Aim: Design, develop and evaluate a group communication technology for older adults to augment social connection and reduce the risk of social isolation

3 Dimensions of Material Culture

All artifacts have three components

1. Use 2. Usability 3. Meaning Model of an Artifact

Usa

bilit

y

Meaning

Use

artifact

Each need is a part of the whole

Use

What it does

Does it work?

“Connects

people”

Usability

How well it works

Can older adults navigate?

“Simple, easy”

Meaning & Metaphor

Who is it for?

Associated with values, beliefs, symbolism, stories.

Does it make sense to older adults?

Building Bridges

Prototype v.1

A technology to improve social engagement has been developed and tested in homes ofolder adults. It includes a 12” touch screen with speakers and phone handset. There arethree main features:

1) Group phone calls: Users can initiate conference calls with other users

2) Broadcasts: Users can listen to broadcasts and join a subsequent ‘group chat’

3) Postcards: Users can send messages using an onscreen keyboard