How do we create peace of mind for loved ones aging at home?
As the world's population ages, there will be fewer and fewer younger adults to care for them. In addition, most seniors prefer to age at home (about 90%) bringing the burden of care to family members who not only work full time but also care for children of their own. They are known as the sandwich generation. Through interviews, research of current and new technology, Tally was created as a way to manage medicine and ease the tension between
family members.
The world is aging
In 2010 there were 564 Million people age 65 and older worldwide
In 2050 there is expected to be 1.6B people age 65 and older worldwide
So what about the us? By 2040 it’s expected that there will be 82 million seniors, which will make up 20% of the US population.
Future
TRENDS
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Scenario Matrix
In the next 30-40 years, the impact of a large aging population will have a number of outcomes which could play out based on the social and economic climate in the future. We have no way to know exactly what will occur, but it's insightful to write out the many possible scenarios.
Interviews:
It was important to get out and talk to people dealing with issues of aging at home on a daily basis.
“They don’t want their [adult] kids telling them
what to do…they don’t want our help”
Dr. Gwen Stritter, MD
Patient Advocate and Anesthesiologist
Mother at home age 86
“Currently there is not enough research on the
effect of medicine in older adults.”
Bradley R. Williams, PharmD, CGP
Professor, Clinical Pharmacy & Clinical Gerontology
USC School of Pharmacy
“Many are on 10-15 pills a day. They have no idea what they are taking. They just do what they are told.”
Rachel Jenkins, RN
Santa Rosa Kaiser ER 16 years
“Rural seniors suffer the most for care and support. Even a $20 increase in fees
can force them to skip meals.”
Centenarian Expert &
Welfare Patent Avocate
“She keeps a tidy list, but can’t remember
if she took it or not, even if it’s checked off.
She will now only take her pills if someone
hands it to her and looks in her eyes and
says it’s OK.”
Bruce Bennavento
84 year old mother with dementia who lived
with the family for one year
“I'm most afraid of falling at home, but those home devices are too expensive, I'll never buy one .”
Francis Barry
92 year old caretaker to man with dementia
Problems and Opportunities
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Mapping the needs:
Let's look at the two main stakeholders, the elderly adult aging at home and the family who cares for them.
User Profile
Secondary Research
In addition to the work you see above, I did a great deal of research on issues in regards to aging at home by reading up on current material, AARP publications, newspapers, websites
and blogs on aging to get familiar with reoccurring issues. There is a vast amount of work to be done, and it is not possible to solve all problems at once. But one thing was clear, there is a growing strain in a family caring for their parents, who are already stressed balancing career and children.
The goal...
LEt us
look at a
few business
ideas that
could help
seniors
and their
families
Number three was the strongest choice, here's a few reasons why.
“Many patients choose not to take medicines because they don’t like to be reminded that they are sick”
David Shaywitz, Forbes
A majority of
seniors take 5
or more
medications
a day
40% of seniors
cannot read the labels
or understand
the dosage
information
A majority of
seniors take 5
or more
medications
a day
In most cases, immediate family will
act as caregivers
Research
Many Different kinds of Products on the market
The current pill systems are unattractive and bland. Additional apps and watches with timed reminders can supplement these home devices.
There is a lot of room for improvement.
Complex Labels Create Confusion
In addition to helping with remembering to take ones medicine, the bottles and labels can lead to confusion since they are similar in appearance and have complex drug names which are difficult to recall.
How can we utilize our brain's ability to remember?
The Picture Superiority Effect has proven our ability to recall imagery to be much more effective then our ability to remember words.
Which one will you remember?
Additional Areas of Research...
Scales and
their role in
weighing and
counting
medicine
Daily Habits
and how it
affects the
way we take
medicine
Understanding
the forms of
medicine and databases to
track and mix
medicine safety
Review of
current and
new technology that
might be useful
in this platform
Introducing.....
What is Tally and how does it work?
I have prepared a short video to explain how the product works.
A few more details...
Total Addressable Market
46 million people over age 65
80 million 40-55
47% of people in their 40s and 50s care
for both parents and their children
Business Model
Potential Revenue
Building a Team
Roadmap
Thank You
*All work on this project was a portion of my Grad Thesis at ArtCenter
College of Design.