Empathise
Problems faced by Elderly People
- Ineffective communication with others due to language barrier
- Dementia or memory deterioration due to old age
- Forgetting personal information or things to do
- Unable to read newspapers, magazines, books, etc. without straining their eyes
- Unable to find and access music of their preference
- Late arrival of assistance during an emergency
- Frequent falls which cause injuries
- Inconvenience due to faraway checkup centres/hospitals and long travel distances
- Unable to control assistive mobility devices and move around on their own due to lack of strength
Define
Environmental Needs
- Effective communication with others and overcoming language barrier
- Retrieval of personal information in the event of old age memory deterioration or dementia
- Constant reminders to ensure that life flows smoothly
Entertainment Needs
- Ability to read with ease and overcoming long-sightedness
- Music accessibility
Health Needs
- Prompt delivery of aid in the event of an emergency (e.g. Cardiac Arrest, etc.)
- Physical and emotional help after an unfortunate fall
- More convenient and transport-efficient checkups
Mobility Needs
- Ability to move around on their assistive mobility devices independently
Ideate (Smart Watch)
Environmental Needs
- Translation of audio message
- Digital recording of personal information
- Setting of reminders
Entertainment Needs
- Optophone to convert text in print into audio message
- Music trove
Health Needs
- MyResponders App
- Fall detection
- Measure of blood pressure and pulse rate
Create (Smart Watch)
Four Main Buttons on Home Screen
- Health
- Understanding
- Information
- Settings
Environmental Needs
- Translation of audio message under Understanding button
- Digital recording of personal information under Information button
- Setting of reminders under Information button
Entertainment Needs
- Optophone to convert text in print into audio message under Understand button
- Music trove under Understanding button
Health Needs
- MyResponders App under Health button
- Fall detection (dial for medical help or inform family members if necessary) under Health button
- Measure of blood pressure and pulse rate under Health button
Test
To test our prototype, we collected reply from our LA teacher and another Spice Group doing a similar prototype. We received both compliments and advice to improve our prototype.
✓ The design and illustration are simple and easy to understand; user-friendly
✓ The music function serves as a good source of entertainment for the elderly
✓ The optophone function can effectively aid the elderly to read letters etc
✓ The app simulation seems clean and professional
✘ Since there is personal information recorded in the smart watch, we should include a security function, such as fingerprint scanner to protect private information to be leaked
✘ The elderly are generally not too accepting towards technology, hence the smart watch might not be attractive if it costs. Instead, we can consider establishing partnership with companies or organisations to allow free distribution
✘ In our presentation, we should explain that it comes with a charger that will be plugged into the smart watch
✘ Since our smart watch provides the function for the elderly to download and listen to music, we should include a Wi-Fi option as these activities require access to the Internet
✘ We should decide on the material of the watch strap, which should be sustainable, waterproof, suitable for Singapore’s weather and has minimum effect on the elderly’s skin
✘ Currently, our app simulation does not include explanation of the features and functions of the watch, hence we should have a separate set of slides to explain our smart watch
✘ The screen on our watch would be much smaller than a handphone or tablet. As some of the elderly have long-sightedness or other eye conditions, they might have difficulty reading what’s on the screen. Therefore, we can add an audio file whereby the name of the icon will be read out loud when touched
✘ The smart watch should not be directed solely at the elderly, instead we should promote it to their caregivers too as some functions, such as the reminders is also or more useful for the caregivers
✘ Although it is easy to understand, the variety of functions available might make it difficult for elderly diagnosed with dementia to use. Hence, we do not recommend our watch to elderly with dementia
We value these opinions as our LA teacher reviewed our product in the perspective of a daughter and granddaughter, who is interested to purchase a device for her parents and grandparents. Hence, her suggestions were a representation of the children of the elderly in the society. Secondly, the opinions from the other Spice group summaries the thoughts of an expert who has deep insight into the problem the elderly is facing in Singapore. We will consider their appreciated suggestions and revise our prototype accordingly.
Appendix
Interview Questions
Volunteers
- Do you know of any instances where the elderly got lost without their family members to guide them?
- Do the elderly people have difficulties moving their assistive mobility devices by themselves?
- Does language barrier create confusion in the communication between the elderly people and others? What about between the elderly people and volunteers who do not speak dialect?
- Do you think that language barrier hinders us students from providing effective entertainment for the elderly?
- How do the volunteers respond to an emergency? (e.g. Heart Attack)
Elderly
- 您有没有老花眼？
- 当别人用普通的声量跟您说话时，您是否能听得清楚？
- 您会不会时常忘记要做的事情，需要别人提醒您？
