Developing A Digital Psychoeducational Tool to Reduce Loneliness in Older Adults: A Design Case Study

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the co-design process of a digital tool that may prevent or alleviate feelings of loneliness in older adults. Six workshops were conducted with older adults (n = 34) aged between 65–80 years old to investigate the role of technology in maintaining and establishing meaningful relationships. Participants’ contributions throughout the workshops were used to inform the design and development of a web-based loneliness intervention for older adults called ElderConnect. ElderConnect is a web-based application that supports older adults to identify, prevent, and alleviate feelings of loneliness by providing knowledge and strategies to initiate new social connections and maintain existing connections. Several challenges were identified while co-designing the application with older adults, and suggestions are provided in this paper to overcome such challenges. The study highlights how to include older adults’ concerns regarding technologies within an iterative co-design process, leading to an endorsed final product.

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgements to Amani Indunil Soysa and the research participants for their time and cooperation.

Disclosure of potential conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interests.

Additional information

Funding

Funding awarded to Lim, Al Mahmud, and Bhar, Iverson Health Innovation Research Institute, Swinburne University of Technology and Relationships Australia Victoria.

Notes on contributors

Abdullah Al Mahmud

Abdullah Al Mahmud is the Deputy Academic Director Research Training and Associate Professor at the School of Design of Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. His research interests include co-design, digital health, human-computer interaction and design with and for marginalised communities.

Katrina M. Long

Katrina M. Long is an Australian implementation scientist and health services researcher. She favours mixed-method multidisciplinary codesign approaches to improving evidence-based practice and the quality of care across healthcare settings and disciplines.

Karra D. Harrington

Karra D. Harrington is a postdoctoral research scholar at Pennsylvania State University’s Center for Healthy Aging and a clinical psychologist. Her research interests include reducing loneliness in vulnerable populations, prevention of age-related cognitive decline and dementia, and development of digital tools to enhance psychological assessment and intervention methods.

Kit Casey

Kit Casey is a Provisional Psychologist and Doctor of Psychology (Clinical) candidate at Deakin University, Australia. She has previously worked as a Research Assistant for Murdoch Children's Research Institute and Swinburne University, on studies relating to loneliness, social anxiety, first-episode psychosis, and post-concussion in children and young people.

Sunil Bhar

Sunil Bhar is a Professor of Psychology at Swinburne University of Technology. He is the director of the Wellbeing Clinic for Older Adults – Swinburne University’s mental health counselling clinic for older people living in residential aged care homes. His research focuses on psychological interventions for improving the mental health of older adults.

Simon Curran

Simon Curran is a qualified lawyer and accredited mediator. He has been an Executive Manager at Relationships Australia for many years. When this paper was in development, Simon was responsible for Relationships Australia Victoria’s strategy for developing services for older Australians as Senior Manager Service and Business Development.

Kristie Hunter

Kristie Hunter holds a degree in Human Services, Counselling from the faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences, University of Southern Queensland. She is currently working in the Oodgeroo Unit at the Queensland University of Technology and as a Support Worker for Indigenous children in residential care.

Michelle H. Lim

Michelle H. Lim is the Chief Scientific Advisor for Ending Loneliness Together; an Australian national network made up of universities and industry partners. She is the Director of the Social Health and Wellbeing Laboratory at Swinburne University of Technology, where she designs, delivers, and evaluates evidence-based interventions to reduce loneliness.