Discoverings Needs Of A Future-Ready Nursing Home

1  Literature review

Desk research conducted to understand the existing models and perception of care in nursing homes in Singapore & around the world, as well as existing guidelines and government policies around senior care. The findings were documented to inform us of the different aspects to look out for during  design ethnography.

2  Preparation for Design Ethnography

Crafted a Design Ethnography Guide to inform observers of the possible areas to take notice of when doing observations in the nursing homes. This guide consists of questions about the seniors, care staffs and family members’ activities, interactions, tools & spaces utilised as well as possible strategies for conducting the observation.

3  Conducting Design Ethnography

We worked with three nursing homes in Singapore and spent time with the residents & care staff in each home. We were mindful to adopt a fly-on-the-wall practice to observe the daily activities of residents & care staff without interference. Observations were noted down and documented in cards, recording the notable incidents, the good and the bad, the needs in that situations and any potential ideas for that incident.

4  Experience Mapping

In order to articulate the experience within a nursing home to different stakeholders, an experience map was designed to visualise the day-to-day living within the home. This map documents the time-space-activity of residents & care staff for Nursing Home B. Each map details the key features of a particular nursing home which differentiates it from another home.

The map gives an overview of how the activities of different stakeholders align and diverge throughout the day, as well as the observed emotions of the residents and care staff pegged to notable incidents.

My involvement in this project was concluded at this point. This map would later be used to identify patterns across different nursing homes and to discover opportunities for intervention in a future-ready nursing home.