Over four million older adults living in long-term care (LTC) communities experience loneliness, adversely impacting their health. Increased contact with friends and family is an evidence-based intervention to reduce loneliness, but in-person visits are not always possible. Augmented Reality (AR)-based telepresence activities can offer viable alternatives with increased immersion and presence compared to video calls. However, its feasibility as an interaction technology for older adults is not known. In this paper, we detail the design of two dyadic collaborative AR activities that accommodate diminished physical and cognitive abilities of older adults. The findings include a general design framework based on an iterative participatory design focusing on preferred activities, modes of interaction, and overall AR experience of eight older adults, two family members, and five LTC staff. Results demonstrate the potential of collaborative AR as an effective means of interaction for older adults with their family, if designed to cater to their needs.
doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642595
With the digitalization and mobilization of the society, older people face the challenge of maintaining high-quality communication with their younger family members who move out and lead separate lives at a distance. In HCI, little work is done to understand the social dynamics between distributed families and their remote communication mediated by the technologies. To identify design opportunities to support their remote communication, we conducted interviews with nine family pairs composed of distributed intergenerational family members. In addition, we interviewed eight community volunteers to formulate a perspective of social service providers. Our paper contributes to the HCI community by providing an account of the social dynamics mediated by communication technologies between older adults and their remote families, and opportunities to promote their social connections from a multi-stakeholder perspective. This paper presents valuable insights for designers aiming to enhance wellbeing of older adults within the context of distributed families.
doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642318
Community-based social programs, such as interest groups and outings, provide valuable ways for older adults to maintain social connectedness. To understand how technology can be designed to support older adults in such programs, we conducted a four-month field study with a local community centre, involving: (1) observations of social program sessions, (2) interviews with staff, and (3) co-design workshops with staff and program participants. We found that staff used technologies in a situated way to make social programs more inclusive for older adults. Technology promoted incidental social interactions and group learning, but also excluded participants from some activities. Participants believed that future technologies to support community-based social programs should be designed to enable efficient communication, promote flexible interactions, and maintain the flow of social activities. We argue that technology interventions in this setting should not become the focus of an activity but instead support social interactions triggered by existing activities.
doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3641892
Music-based reminiscence has the potential to positively impact the psychological well-being of older adults. However, the aging process and physiological changes, such as memory decline and limited verbal communication, may impede the ability of older adults to recall their memories and life experiences. Given the advanced capabilities of generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems, such as generated conversations and images, and their potential to facilitate the reminiscing process, this study aims to explore the design of generative AI to support music-based reminiscence in older adults. This study follows a user-centered design approach incorporating various stages, including detailed interviews with two social workers and two design workshops (involving ten older adults). Our work contributes to an in-depth understanding of older adults’ attitudes toward utilizing generative AI for supporting music-based reminiscence and identifies concrete design considerations for the future design of generative AI to enhance the reminiscence experience of older adults.
doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642800
Caregivers of older adults often undertake their caregiving journey driven by filial obligation, facing inherent expectations and multifaceted roles. While Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research has explored these roles, some invisible work in managing them remains under-examined. To address this gap, we interviewed 19 informal caregivers of older adults to uncover their invisible work and the potential role of technology in supporting these complex responsibilities. Our findings detail the caregivers' lived experiences, highlighting the challenges and strategies they employ in managing multiple roles. We discuss design opportunities that include facilitating the identification and reflection on existing roles, leveraging this understanding for coordination, aiding in role-based scheduling with acknowledgment, and providing support for the dynamic roles transitioning between various responsibilities. These insights could inform future caregiving technology design, enhancing support for caregivers in their multifaceted roles.
doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642728