Supporting Social Interaction in Care Environments: Exploring Stakeholder Perspectives on the Potential of Interactive Technology

ABSTRACT

This article explores care stakeholders’ perspectives on how interactive technology can help form socially active environments in residential care settings. Based on participatory workshops, involving representatives from multiple stakeholder groups, the authors identify a set of considerations relevant for design of social inclusion technology for care settings. The design considerations relate to the following topics: users, places, themes, value, and role. The authors also present three mock-ups emanating from the workshops, representing the participants’ visions as to how technology can contribute to social interaction by accommodating considerations related to the above topics. The results from this study highlight the importance of social inclusion technology being firmly anchored in the local and collaboratively produced care environment. In particular, their findings illustrate how the local—i.e., the wider social context in which the care residents live, and in which activities and things gain social meaning and value—can offer a rich design space and valuable source of inspiration for social inclusion technology. Potential negative implications of social inclusion technology are also briefly discussed.

The main contribution of this article is an increased understanding of the intimate relationship between designs for social inclusion and the wider social context in which care residents live.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank everyone at the three residential care centers who participated in the workshops for sharing their views, ideas, experience, and knowledge.

Additional information

Funding

The study described in this article has been funded in part by the Research Council of Norway under Grant No. 247769/O70

Notes on contributors

Yngve Dahl

Yngve Dahl is an Associate Professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). His professional interests are in the field of human–computer interaction, specifically in the areas of user-centered and value sensitive design, ubiquitous computing, and usability evaluation methodology.

Erica Löfström

Erica Löfström is a Researcher and Adjunct Associate Professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). She typically uses prototyping and “provotyping” methods in co-designing new technologies and concepts together with end users. She specializes in feedback and visualization techniques (eco-visualization) contributing to a more sustainable future.