Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Design for the elderly

Options
  • 07-11-2009 11:01pm
    #1
    mark11original
    Registered Users Posts: 52 ✭✭


    Would anybody have any ideas for an artefact or item which would help the life of an elderly person?
    What would like if you were older?


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Axwell
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 10,462 Mod ✭✭✭✭Axwell


    mark11original wrote: »
    Would anybody have any ideas for an artefact or item which would help the life of an elderly person?
    What would like if you were older?

    This is a forum about web design/development..probably the wrong place to be asking in fairness.


  • Options
    #3
    Blowfish
    Registered Users Posts: 5,112 ✭✭✭Blowfish


    I did one ages ago for my granny. Basically she loved reading but her eyesight was going, so couldn't read books despite having glasses/magnifying glass. She had never used a pc in her life, so that had to be taken into account.

    I created a little Java app that would read in an ebook from text, display it in full screen with large text (about 8-10 lines per screen) and had very basic click navigation (left click go forward, right click go backwards) as she had trouble with the mouse wheel. Did the job.


  • Options
    #4
    mark11original
    Registered Users Posts: 52 ✭✭mark11original


    Thanks for idea thats something which maybe i could do.


  • Options
    #5
    p
    Registered Users Posts: 2,119 ✭✭✭p


    I suggest you try meet some elderly people and learn from them. Impossbible to design in a bubble.

    On my course last year we did a very intensive user research in elderly homes. Luckily for you, it's all been published online. There's some great insights there which could inspire you to create something. I suggest reading everything on this link thoroughly.
    http://dkds.ciid.dk/py/user-research/overview/


  • Options
    #6
    ocallagh
    Registered Users Posts: 3,140 ✭✭✭ocallagh


    The last 6 weeks I've spent trying to get my grandmother's house accessible (wheelchair accessible, railings, nurse alarms, bathroom was a complete death trap).

    It took a while to get the right builder, meetings with a few different companies and also the HSE to find out what we needed to do. HSE scribbled a few small notes onto a bit of paper and directed us towards the most expensive company...

    So, we had to do some research ourselves. In the end a lot of the things were really simple like repositioning furniture, anti slip tape for rugs, tidying up wires from the back of the TV, moving phone sockets, installing a bed alarm made out of a bathroom pull cord and a door buzzer! etc.. this can all be done for little cost. We got lucky and found a builder who had done accessible bathrooms before (there are exact specs you must follow if you are to claim for a grant)

    I bet you there are hundreds of elderly people whose living standards could be improved at little to no cost.

    Perhaps a website with information on cheaply improving homes for the elderly (also detailing info on grants) would be a good idea?


  • Advertisement
Advertisement