This master thesis deals with the design of a new service system for
Akaciegården nursing home that aims to improve mealtime experiences
focusing on aspects related to communication and social interaction.
The project is based upon qualitative data collected during fieldwork studies
at Akaciegården nursing home revealing that barriers to communication
between residents and caregivers exist contributing to isolation and lack of
togetherness among residents.
From an empathic design approach and use of service design tools, the
service “Forget-Me-Not” is designed as a tool to trigger and support face-toface
communication benefiting both residents and caregivers. The service is
delivered through a big touch screen to be used in common areas hanging on
the wall or as brought to couch areas. The main touch point is an application
with the two modules “Icebreaker” and “Life stories”. Both modules provides
visual means for communication, where the former provides topics for
conversations that are easy to grasp, and the latter focus on the life stories of
the residents as basis for more personal and deep conversations. Improving
mealtime experiences by a focus on social interaction further touches upon
preventing problems of malnutrition, which is a problem in Danish nursing
homes in general. This is based on the notion that sitting with people you
know and like makes you sit longer at the table and possibly eat more.
Test results showed that a lo-fi prototype of Forget-Me-Not contributed to
trigger and improve communication, generated more conversations, and
further contributed to caregivers learning more about residents. However,
further tests with a digital prototype of the service must be carried out to
measure success more carefully.