W-meter: The development of a measuring tool for health care workers, to monitor the course of dehydration in elderly

Abstract

Formålet med dette projekt er at udvikle apparat, som kan hjælpe mod dehydrering af ældre i hjemmeplejen. Det er lavet, som et speciale projekt på kandidatuddannelsen Industrielt Design på Aalborg Universitet foråret 2023. Projektet forsøger at takle problematikken omkring ældre, som bliver dehydreret i hjemmeplejen, da det koster de danske kommuner op mod 50 mio. DKK om året. Projektets endelige problemformulering er: Hvordan skabes et produkt, som kan hjælpe SOSU-medarbejder, til at mindske antallet af ældre, som bliver dehydreret i hjemmeplejen? Med baggrund problemformulering, er det forsøgt gennem anvendelsen af flere forskellige design metoder fra design thinking at designe et produktforslag, som løser dette. Det har skabet produktforslaget W-meter, som er et apparat, der kan kvantificere forløbet for dehydrering af ældre i hjemmeplejen for SOSU-assistent. Sådan de kan yde den rette behandling, når det nødvendig. Ved at kvantificere forløbet forbedre det samarbejdet mellem SOSU-medarbejderne. Produktforslaget er designet sådan, at det inddrager den ældre i målingen af dehydrering, sådan det virker mindre indgribende på den ældre. Det opretholder den gode relation mellem den ældre SOSU-medarbejder, som forbedrer plejen. Det anslås, at produktforslaget vil kunne spare de danske kommunerne omkring 30 mio. DKK om året.

The project goal is to develop a device that can help to minimize elderly experiencing dehydration in the home care sector. The thesis project is conducted on the master's program, Industrial Design, at Aalborg University in the spring of 2023. The project aimed to tackle the problem of the elderly becoming dehydrated in home cares, as it costs the Danish municipalities up to 50 million DKK every year. The project's problem statement is: How can a product be designed to help SOSU employees to reduce the number of elderlies who become dehydrated in home cares? With this statement in mind, it has been attempted through the use of several different design methods, from the design thinking approach, to design a product proposal that solved this. This has created the product proposal W-meter, which is a device that can quantify the course of dehydration of the elderly in home care for SOSU assistants. It makes it possible for them to provide the right treatment when necessary. By quantifying the statement of dehydration, it improves collaboration between the SOSU employees. The product proposal is designed in such a way that it involves the elderly in the measurement of dehydration, so it seems less intrusive on the elderly. Maintaining the good relationship between the older SOSU employee. It is estimated that the product proposal will be able to save the Danish municipalities around DKK 30 million DKK every year.

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A master thesis from Aalborg University

W-meter: The development of a measuring tool for health care workers, to monitor the course of dehydration in elderly

[W-meter]