area of opportunity

Red Thread Innovation's mission is to create digital products that transform businesses and empower people globally. They have given us the challenge of developing a digital solution that digital solution that reduces loneliness in an underserved market.

Our team initially reflected upon our grandparents and how isolated they were during the pandemic and that became inspiration for this project. Loneliness is a serious issue for older adults — it damages physical health by encouraging a sedentary lifestyle with a poor diet and it affects mental health by increasing the risk of disorders like depression and anxiety. These feelings of isolation, boredom, and lack of purpose, result in an overall reduced quality of life.

Although loneliness in older adults is a serious issue, we have found that there are currently no digital solutions available within retirement homes that specifically address this problem.

challenge

How might we increase social engagement in retirement homes through digital volunteer opportunities to reduce loneliness in the older adult population?

Phase 1: Understanding the Problem

research

According to a study by AARP, around 1 in 3 adults aged 45+ report feeling lonely, and around 1 in 4 adults aged 65 and older are socially isolated.

We gathered research to validate our idea — identifying a rise in loneliness and social isolation.

Aging Population

Statistics Canada forecasts, 22.5% of Canada’s population will be aged 65+ by 2030.

The gap in the generations means many of our current workers and loved ones will be leaving the workforce, leaving many jobs without workers and more people who need support.

COVID-19 Pandemic

Retirement homes are still taking precautions due to the pandemic.

The ability to volunteer in retirement homes has become even more difficult. It has made people more aware of the dangers of introducing illness into retirement communities, and also the increase in social isolation that results from limiting contact to the outside. Even at the tail end of the pandemic, it is still common for retirement homes to limit contact due to outbreaks of flus or other viruses and this is a problem retirement homes will continue to face.

Sheridan Center for Elder Research

We met with a representative from the Sheridan Centre for Elder Research to gain an insight on what older adults would need to use this tool successfully. The Sheridan Centre for Elder Research has a positive outlook on our topic, stating that it has the potential to serve as a valuable tool for enhancing the lives of older adults in retirement homes.

competitor Analysis

We looked into other attempts that have been created to address this problem:

In the marketplace, our product standouts by prioritizing the connection between the elderly and younger generations, and ensuring accessibility to technology. Unlike its competitors, our platform has a user-friendly interface, privacy features, a strong onboarding process, and compatibility with different devices, making it an appealing choice for both older adults and young people.

Phase 2: Synthesis & Testing

Synthesis

We want to look at aging as an opportunity rather than a challenge.

Despite being a rapidly growing market, companies tend to neglect the unique needs and challenges older individuals face.
Older adults are a very underserved market in the world of consumerism as many products and services are designed with a focus on younger consumers and often overlook the preferences of the older generation.

Product Benefits

• Allow volunteers to connect from anywhere across Canada.
  
• Volunteers will have the ability easily connect with older adults residents without the added stress or expenses associated with travelling to these locations.
  
• Retirement homes in more rural communities can receive the volunteers they need to provide the necessary social support to their residents
  
• Targeting an underserved demographic.
  
• Older adults are often overlooked in the consumer market despite being a rapidly growing demographic.
  
• Our product will prioritize accessibility for this demographic.
  
• Long-term benefits for Canada’s aging population.
• Social interaction can lead to improved mental and physical health.
  
• Over 15 million Canadians are aged 45 and older, making up 43% of the population.
  
• As this demographic grows, it's crucial to develop solutions to address their needs before it becomes a crisis.
  

Accessibility

• We followed the WCAG guidelines for designers to maintain high accessibility standards.
  
• We improved colour contrast within the application using Adobe Colour's accessibility tools to enhance visibility for individuals with visibility considerations.
• We tested the colour palette in colour blind mode to ensure that it works well for users with colour blindness.
• Live captioning was introduced to facilitate conversations for users with hearing difficulties.
• Font size was increased to a minimum of 16 pt within the app to ensure legibility and avoid long paragraphs.

user Journey

Phase 3: Solution

key features

• AgeWise Connect provides a secure and simple way for volunteers to make a difference in the lives of older adults.
  
• We use a formalized background check and virtual interview process to verify volunteers and ensure the safety of residents.
• Volunteers can access hundreds of opportunities across multiple retirement homes with just one application, eliminating barriers and simplifying the process of finding the right opportunity.

• Volunteers can personalize their profiles by including a personal description, the languages they speak, and their hobbies to facilitate matching with older adults who share similar interests and passions.
  

• The volunteer can set their own hours, allowing the volunteer to have flexibility and control over their schedule.