Enabling Seniors to Age In Place

How we designed a vision for a platform that enables seniors to live independently and age at home

As healthcare costs rise with age, our client envisioned a wellness intelligence platform to help long-term care providers reduce expenses. This solution uses sensors in seniors' homes and predictive analytics to spot behavior changes before they become emergencies. It allows seniors to stay at home, keeping their independence and privacy. We created a product vision to guide the development of this emerging business.

Services
Stakeholder interviews
Rapid concepting
Competitive and domain research
UX/UI Design
Information Architectue
Prototyping
Scenario definition
System Design
Envisioning
Focus Groups
Industry
Healthcare
Wellness
Timeline
3 months
The Challenge
Bringing a vision to life for the first time
This was the first time our healthcare client's vision came to life. Using real-time data from multiple sensors and predictive analytics, we were tasked with creating a solution that gives an intuitive view of a population of seniors. The solution highlights who is at risk and needs attention, while also allowing healthcare providers to access detailed information and take action as needed.
Our Approach
Envisioning a wellness intelligence platform
We collaborated with our client to develop a multi-user solution that facilitates meaningful connections among staff, family members, and caregivers.

Our process included conducting user research, envisioning concepts, designing detailed workflows, and creating a vision and interactive prototype. Our client used this prototype with beta participants to test the value proposition, gather data, secure partnerships, and raise funds.

“I love how it integrates many facets of the resident's life to create a visual story, paired with an 'at a glance' function of who needs attention or triage. The passive use of technology to gather data is something we don't currently keep track of.”

Focus Group Participant

The Solution
Gleaning priorities at a glance
To help healthcare providers quickly triage and prioritize their senior clients, we designed a population view that displays the status of every patient. The system highlights patients with critical needs and features trending arrows, enabling caregivers to understand each resident’s wellness trends. This allows caregivers to predict patient needs more effectively.

When caregivers log in, they can immediately see any changes in the population’s status since their last shift. The system identifies activity and behavioral routines, generating critical alerts for patients whose data deviates from their normal patterns.

“I like the ability to track a resident’s overall wellbeing in relation to her/his environment. And the ability to link various factors that may contribute to the overall wellbeing of the resident.”

Focus Group Participant

Understanding behaviors that are out of the norm
As behavior data is collected, the system sets a baseline for "normal" behavior. Alerts are triggered when data falls outside this range or changes suddenly. We used an "equalizer" metaphor to create a visualization that clearly shows what is within or outside the norms at a glance.
Investigating alert details
We provided caregivers with the ability to drill down into the details of a patient’s alert. This allows them to see what triggered the alert, follow a protocol checklist, add notes, and contact the care team, all in one place.

This solution ensures quality documentation of care protocols and supports staff training by providing just-in-time instructions tailored to each resident's needs and preferences. Having a central library of preferences and needs helps maintain quality of care in an industry with high staff turnover.
Impact
A vision that forges strategic partnerships
The prototype we designed served as a tangible representation of our product vision, effectively showcasing the solution's potential and unique features. The narratives we crafted resonated with potential business partners, allowing our client to forge strategic alliances. These alliances validated the concept's viability and accelerated the product’s market entry and adoption.
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