Reducing Loneliness in Older Adults Through Virtual Volunteer Opportunities
Agewise Connect removes barriers to volunteering in retirement homes by offering a platform for remote volunteering opportunities. Designed for ease and accessibility, the platform tailors the volunteering experience to your interests and schedule, allowing you to make a difference from anywhere. Volunteers and older adults are connected through shared interests, creating a community where every conversation brightens lives and every connection leaves a lasting impact.
Client
Red Thread Innovations
Jay Armstrong
Adam Borthwick
Mikaela Delaney
Holly Marshall
The Challenge
The client, Red Thread Innovations strives to build digital products that transform businesses and empower people across the world. They tasked our team with creating a digital product that combats loneliness in an underserved market.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Loneliness is an Epidemic that Impacts the Health and Well-Being of Older Adults
The WHO has identified loneliness as a serious issue for older adults. This is why it's important to recognize the impact of loneliness on older adults and take steps to prevent it. In a world where instant communication is at our fingertips, there remains a lack of digital interventions to foster companionship within retirement communities.
Damages Physical and Mental Health by encouraging a sedentary lifestyle and increasing the risk of disorders like depression and anxiety
Shortens Lives with up to a 29% increase in likelihood of mortality, similar to other risk factors like obesity, smoking, and alcohol abuse
Reduced Quality of Life with feelings of isolation, boredom, and lack of purpose making everyday tasks difficult
FOCUS GROUPS
People Who Want to Give Back to Their Communities are Struggling to Volunteer
Through our research, we identified a shortage of volunteers in retirement homes and communities. Even when exploring volunteer opportunities in our own hometowns, we noticed that roles involving older adults were the most frequently listed. To better understand this gap, we conducted a focus group with current volunteers and individuals seeking volunteer opportunities.
After conducting the focus group, it became clear that volunteering at retirement homes can be a difficult process that doesn’t always fit people’s busy lifestyles. Other responsibilities like full-time careers or taking care of children take priority when volunteering isn’t convenient.
PARTNERING WITH EXPERTS
Identifying the Needs of Older Adults
To gain more insight in this problem space, we reached out to the Sheridan Centre for Elder Research. This organization conducts leading edge research in the field of aging by examining innovative ways to enhance the well-being of older adults and the environments that support them. The centre played an integral role in our research as they offered us use of their equipment and provided helpful insights throughout the entire design process.
USER JOURNEYS
Simplifying the Onboarding Experience for Volunteers
Through our research, we learned that the onboarding process was one of the largest deterrents to volunteering in retirement homes. Understaffing in retirement homes often caused this process to take over a year to complete and resulted in many volunteers feeling discouraged. User journeys were used to visualize the pain points so we could design interventions that would make the biggest impact. We focused on streamlining this process for volunteers while maintaining essential safety measures.
WIREFRAMING
User Testing Early and Often
The designs underwent multiple iterations by integrating user testing early in the process. The volunteer dashboard was a key focus for testing, as the breadth of information could easily become overwhelming. Wireframing became a useful tool as it allowed me to test the organization and information hierarchy without making design changes too complicated. This iterative approach ensured that every design decision worked toward creating a successful end product.
One Application, Hundreds of Opportunities
With just one application, volunteers can access hundreds of opportunities across multiple retirement homes, eliminating barriers and simplifying the process of finding the right opportunity. This formalized application process offers secure background checks to ensure the safety of residents.
Personalized Matching for Meaningful Relationships
Agewise Connect simplifies the process of building meaningful relationships. Volunteers can personalize their profiles with a short bio, the languages they speak, and their favorite hobbies, to ensure effortless matching with older adults who share similar interests. With the flexibility to set your own hours, volunteering becomes accessible, empowering volunteers to make a difference on their terms.
Empowering Volunteers Every Step of the Way
Volunteers can access everything they need right from their dashboard. Manage meetings, discover new opportunities, and explore free courses that teach new ways to better connect with older adults—all in one convenient place.
