Life Stories

The challange

Life stories are collected information about a person, everything from their history to preferences and habits. The method is often used in care and social care to create the conditions for person-centred care. The stories play a vital role for many people as it is a tool that gives the opportunity to see beyond diagnoses. The problem with the method today is that the stories are often "hidden" in journal systems and are not available in daily work. They are also time-consuming to collect, which entails the risk that they are not prioritized and that they are not updated when the person changes over time.

The goal

Through an iterative and user-driven process, the project has explored how multisensory interactive life stories can be designed to:

• convey the sense of identity and belonging create an experience for several senses
• evoke memories, inspire activities, conversations and contribute to well-being
• be useful & available to the staff in their daily work
• increase participation in one's own care situation & social context

The concept developed during the project has been designed as a prototype that has been tested and evaluated by the users in their real context, i.e. staff and care recipients in nursing homes, relatives and elder people still living at home.

The result

The prototype Pebbles are shaped like stones with a digital core, allowing them to be updated and customized based on users. The 3D-printed stones have a digital screen where images, facts and questions can be displayed that spark conversation and highlight what a person likes and has experienced - or wants to experience. The associated application "Like or dislike" which can be reached via a tablet, mobile or computer is a way for users to choose the content to be sent to Pebbles. All pictures that the person clicks the thumbs up on in "Like or dislike" are saved on the person's profile and can then be sent to the stones to look at. A vibration alerts the user that a new image is visible on the stones.

Pebbles can, for example, be used in meetings between staff and elder people who live in special accommodation. Through the staff getting to know the person, the opportunity to provide person-centered care and to create activities that are adapted to the individual increases. The conversations that arise can also increase the sense of belonging and quality of life. The solution can also be used together with relatives or other elder people who live in the accommodation as a joint activity in, for example, the common room.

Demonstration of the prototype

The application "Like or dislike"

Users engage in conversation around the images displayed on the screen and select thumbs up (like) or thumbs down (dislike) on the images to make a selection. The pictures that get the thumbs up are saved in a collection that can then be sent to Pebbles.

"Pebbles"

Users can either send pictures to Pebbles from the "Like or dislike"-session or from ready-made categories on different themes (for example nature, travel or sports). The images sent to the Pebbles are displayed on a digital screen on the undersides of the "pebbles". After users have viewed the image, they can flip them over to await a new image. If the user holds the stone in their hand, they can also feel it vibrate when the image changes. In this way, it becomes clear that something new has happened.

Publications

AHFE International Conference 2013 Life Stories – Developing an Interactive Solution for Reminiscence and Communication.
AHFE Open Access, vol 88. AHFE International, USA.http://doi.org/10.54941/ahfe1003660

AHFE International Conference 2014 Evaluation of an Interactive Solution for Reminiscence and Communication.  
AHFE Open Access, vol 133. AHFE International, USA.http://doi.org/10.54941/ahfe1004890