Walk with them, not for them

2004

As the “baby-boomer” generation approached retirement in the U.S., issues involving care for seniors increased and became a larger part of our national consciousness. A primary concern for this population remains the loss of companionship, which can contribute to isolation, depression, and decreased socialization. mPath was a concept for a data management service that was proposed to combat isolation among seniors. Instead of placing the technology in the hands of seniors, mPath works with administrators of assisted-living facilities to oversee an ad-hoc volunteer network.

Interacting with residents, these volunteers assess social relationships and emotional reactions, quantifying for the computer their qualitative observations. The system examines accumulated data over time to reveal anomalies, highlight trends and anticipate future responses. Administrators may choose to act upon that information. The overall effect is to increase the social well being of seniors in an unobtrusive manner.

This award-winning CHI 2005 student project began as an exploration of a population unfamiliar to my design team. Asked to create a virtual companion for the elderly, my colleagues and I began by trying to understand the needs and risks that accompany aging. This led us to a few key insights. First, the comfort level with technology was not very high for senior citizens. Second, we saw isolation as producing a negative spiral away from good mental and physical health. Our definition of virtual, therefore, had to acknowledge there is no substitution for human companionship.