PHASE SIX

Reflecting on Seven Weeks of UX Design for Elderly Mental Health Through Technology 

Overview of the Project 

Over the last seven weeks, I dedicated my time to exploring how technology can facilitate mental health dialogue among the elderly. My journey from concept to prototype was filled with learning, challenges, and a lot of growth. It's been very rewarding to use design as a tool to enhance the lives of seniors.

Research and Methods 

The research project began with an initial mess map to define what I already knew about elderly mental health issues and identify key questions. From there, I started researching to get better insights. My research methods started with reading academic papers and articles about elderly mental health and the use of telehealth. After updating my mess map with some new insights, I discovered the important role of telehealth in supporting elderly well-being, and in-person interactions have been more successful than virtual interactions regarding mental health, so I decided to focus on enhancing these services through user-friendly technology.

I then engaged directly with my target audience—elderly individuals and a psychiatrist experienced in telehealth—through interviews and love/breakup letters. These conversations provided great insights into their feelings about technology and mental health.

After my research, I created three user personas: one person who is comfortable with technology and wants to stay connected to their family, one person who feels neutral to technology and wants to manage their health online, and one person who isn’t familiar with technology and wants to manage their health online. 

What I Tried and Created 

The core of my project was the development of a “Package at 60” initiative, an approach for the elderly to manage their mental health with technology. The package would be given to them as they started a new journey at an assisted living facility which I called Golden Path. 

This package included a user-friendly application along with a series of brochures, tutorials, and guides to support its use. The app included features like appointment scheduling, medication reminders, and easy communication with healthcare providers. I incorporated design elements like large buttons, simplified navigation, and voice commands to enhance usability and ensure the app was accessible to elderly users.

Challenges and Learnings 

One of the biggest challenges was designing an interface that was both full of helpful features and simple enough for elderly users with limited tech experience. Balancing functionality with accessibility often required going back and forth. From this, I learned the importance of iterative design and user feedback in creating interfaces that meet user needs. Engaging in user testing allowed me to tailor the interface to reflect what they wanted, making sure that each feature enhanced their experience without overwhelming them.

What Didn’t Work 

Completing the entire project within the timeline was challenging. Specifically, for the "Package at 60" concept, I managed to design only the application component for the final presentation rather than the full package of materials planned. 

Secondly, in developing the app, I initially included personalized profiles with photos. However, feedback indicated that this feature could be overwhelming for users, leading me to simplify this to just include the user’s name and birthday.

Thirdly, integrating various elements from my research into the app—appointments, medications, family contacts, community engagements, and spiritual activities—proved challenging. The goal was to present all these features on a single screen without the need for scrolling, but accommodating large text sizes for better readability made this impractical. To manage this, I introduced a dropdown menu to accommodate additional features without cluttering the main interface.

Reflecting on Improvements 

Looking back, I realize that conducting more user testing with a wider range of demographics could have provided deeper insights. Also, personalizing the app further to reflect individual user histories could have made the app more engaging for each user.

Future Extensions

Looking ahead, the prototype has great potential for expansion. Integrating AI to personalize interactions based on user behaviors could be very rewarding. Expanding social features to include support groups and family communications would more effectively address mental health needs by creating a sense of community and belonging. Additionally, considering the feedback, I plan to incorporate a faith-based page to facilitate discussions around spirituality, which is important to many elderly users. Lastly, I want to incorporate an activity-based page that encourages outdoor activities, like taking walks or meeting for coffee, promoting active and connected lifestyles.

Conclusion 

This project was not just about building an app but about understanding the interplay between technology, aging, and mental health. The journey of learning and iteration is ongoing, and each step brings me closer to a solution that resonates with my users. I hope that my efforts will eventually encourage my great-grandfather and others like him to open up about their mental health.

Here is a link to my final presentation.

Secondary Research

He, Huiqian, Salwa Hanim Abdul-Rashid, and Raja G. Raja Ariffin. "Research Trends and Hot Spots in Telemedicine for the Elderly: A Scientometric Analysis." Healthcare, vol. 12, no. 18, 2024, pp. 1853. ProQuest, http://proxy.library.nyu.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fscholarly-journals%2Fresearch-trends-hot-spots-telemedicine-elderly%2Fdocview%2F3110475768%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D12768, doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12181853.

Horvat, Martina, Ivan Eržen, and Dominika Vrbnjak. "Barriers and Facilitators to Medication Adherence among the Vulnerable Elderly: A Focus Group Study." Healthcare, vol. 12, no. 17, 2024, pp. 1723. ProQuest, http://proxy.library.nyu.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fscholarly-journals%2Fbarriers-facilitators-medication-adherence-among%2Fdocview%2F3103935672%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D12768, doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12171723.

Kouvonen, Anne, et al. "Health and Self-Perceived Barriers to Internet use among Older Migrants: A Population-Based Study." BMC Public Health, vol. 22, 2022, pp. 1-12. ProQuest, http://proxy.library.nyu.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fscholarly-journals%2Fhealth-self-perceived-barriers-internet-use-among%2Fdocview%2F2652306041%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D12768, doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-12874-x.

Reicherzer, Leah, et al. "Barriers and Facilitators to the use of Wearable Robots as Assistive Devices: Qualitative Study with Older Adults and Physiotherapists." JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies, vol. 11, 2024. ProQuest, http://proxy.library.nyu.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fscholarly-journals%2Fbarriers-facilitators-use-wearable-robots-as%2Fdocview%2F3091269830%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D12768, doi:https://doi.org/10.2196/52676.

Siette, Joyce, et al. "“Provided a Window on the World and Lessened My Feeling of Isolation”: Older Adults’ Perceived COVID-19 Impact and Technology use in Australia during Recurrent Lockdowns." BMC Geriatrics, vol. 24, 2024, pp. 1-13. ProQuest, http://proxy.library.nyu.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fscholarly-journals%2Fprovided-window-on-world-lessened-my-feeling%2Fdocview%2F2956853880%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D12768, doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-024-04807-7.

Tandon, Urvashi, et al. "Understanding Telehealth Adoption among the Elderly: An Empirical Investigation." Information, vol. 15, no. 9, 2024, pp. 552. ProQuest, http://proxy.library.nyu.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fscholarly-journals%2Funderstanding-telehealth-adoption-among-elderly%2Fdocview%2F3110512975%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D12768, doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/info15090552.

Wu, Man, et al. "Effectiveness of Telecare Interventions on Depression Symptoms among Older Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." JMIR mHealth and uHealth, vol. 12, 2024. ProQuest, http://proxy.library.nyu.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fscholarly-journals%2Feffectiveness-telecare-interventions-on%2Fdocview%2F2917602602%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D12768, doi:https://doi.org/10.2196/50787.

Xu, Jinyan, and Qianqian Zhang. "The Relationship between Internet use and Mental Health of the Elderly: Analysis of the Differences between Urban and Rural." PLoS One, vol. 18, no. 1, 2023. ProQuest, http://proxy.library.nyu.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fscholarly-journals%2Frelationship-between-internet-use-mental-health%2Fdocview%2F2769975026%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D12768, doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280318.

Zhang, Huan, et al. "Impact of Internet use on Mental Health among Elderly Individuals: A Difference-in-Differences Study Based on 2016–2018 CFPS Data." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 19, no. 1, 2022, pp. 101. ProQuest, http://proxy.library.nyu.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fscholarly-journals%2Fimpact-internet-use-on-mental-health-among%2Fdocview%2F2618222355%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D12768, doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010101.