Age and experience

Abstract

The "older old" (people over eighty) are a largely invisible group for those not directly involved in their lives; this project explores the ways that technology might strengthen links between different generations. This paper describes findings from a two-year study of a residential care home and develops the notion of cross-generational engagement through ludic systems which encourage curiosity and playfulness. It outlines innovative ways of engaging the older old through "digital curios" such as Bloom, the Tenori On and Google Earth. The use of these curios was supplemented with portraiture by three local artists, nine school children and the field researcher. The paper describes four technological interventions: "video window", "projected portraiture", "blank canvas", and "soundscape radio". These interventions attempt to reposition "off the shelf" technologies to provide a space for cross-generational engagement The notion of interpassivity (the obverse of interaction) is explored in relation to each intervention.

A Critical Lens on Dementia and Design in HCI

“…Drawing parallels between recent shifts in HCI and the perspective of critical dementia helps solidify a research agenda in this space, but how does the critical dementia perspective appear in practice? Recent work in HCI that is aligned with this perspective often takes advantage of the arts (e.g., music, visual arts) [8,55,56,77,78]. In this section, we draw on long-term field work within an art therapy program as a case of how this perspective is enacted in practice and through technology design.…”

Ticket to Talk

“…TV has been used as a source of media to act as "tickets-to-talk" [50], helping older people talk with other members of the community over a shared activity of watching TV. Blythe et al [9] build on the concept of "ticket-to-talk" by working collaboratively with an artist and children from a local art club to experiment with projected drawings in care homes. Residents were drawn whilst their in-progress portraits were projected to the rest of the room.…”

“…In this previous work, we enacted design concepts drawn from an understanding of personal experience, where we further refined ideas of supporting intergenerational communication in dementia care. One of the concepts developed in this past work explored how a curated set of assorted media can form conversation 'ins', allowing younger family members to engage with an older relative with dementia [9]. This is expressed in one of the major themes discussed by young people, that despite having a strong desire to engage in positive social interactions with relatives who have dementia, a perceived generational gap created difficulties in initiating and maintaining conversations.…”

“…Blythe et al [9]'s use of the "Tickets to Talk" metaphor created future facing talking points, focussing on events or technological interventions in a care home. The critique of our Ticket to Talk application expressed a desire for future facing tickets, allowing conversations to become an exchange between younger people and people with dementia.…”

“…This approach is especially necessary when designing for communication and dementia. Communication is integral to delivering effective, person-centred care and boosting mental well-being in people with dementia [9,24,27,53,54,60]. For someone with dementia, communication and reciprocal relationships are paramount in maintaining a sense of identity [51].…”