Mindings User with device
MindingsConnect App
Usage Screen
Mindings
Read a full case study on Mindings creation here.
Situation
As the creator of Mindings, I recognised an opportunity to transform traditional telecare systems by focusing on user engagement, social connection, and emotional well-being. I saw the potential to develop a solution that would not only provide safety and peace of mind but also actively contribute to the happiness and quality of life of both users and their care networks through a reciprocal, empathetic approach.
The Task
The task was to develop an innovative "kind telecare" solution that would:
1. Enhance social connections between users and their support network through meaningful, reciprocal interactions.
2. Provide reassurance to caregivers through positive engagement, rather than passive monitoring.
3. Improve overall well-being and happiness for users by making them active participants in their care.
4. Respect user privacy and promote independence through consensual, mutually beneficial interactions.
5. Address three specific challenges identified with Age UK:
• Befriending: Connect vulnerable users with volunteers
• Activity Promotion: Encourage participation in social activities
• Day Centre Lunch Booking: Streamline the process of meal reservations
• Activity Promotion: Encourage participation in social activities
• Day Centre Lunch Booking: Streamline the process of meal reservations
Action
1. We developed Mindings Connect, a mobile app that works in conjunction with the Mindings platform. Mindings itself is a digital picture frame-style device that displays a carousel of captioned images, text messages, location updates, and a calendar/to-do list, designed to be accessible and engaging, particularly for seniors, and even people with early-stage dementia.
Mindings App - with captioned photos, text messages, social media, and calendar.
User with Mindings App running on an iPad.
Central to Mindings Connect is the concept of "Groupings" - a "circle of care" comprising family, friends, carers, and volunteers who collaborate to support users. The key innovation lies in its reciprocal nature: each interaction from the user serves as a non-intrusive confirmation of their well-being.
Key features include:
1. Inclusive Care Network: Mindings Connect facilitates easy creation and management of a user's Grouping, fostering a collaborative care approach.
2. Meaningful Content Sharing: Groupings members can send images, messages, and location updates, encouraging the user to engage and respond.
3. Empathetic Communication: The app transforms data into friendly, story-like "reassurances" (e.g., "Dad is enjoying his morning coffee ☕") instead of clinical or IT-like status "alerts". All-day summaries can then be turned into "stories".
Mindings transforming a day's data into a story.
4. Positive Interaction: The 'GotIt' button on the Mindings frame allows users to acknowledge content, simultaneously engaging with loved ones and confirming their well-being.
5. Wellness Promotion: Sharing of social activity pictures encourages participation and reduces isolation, with user responses providing insights into their interests and engagement levels.
6. Flexible Communication: A multi-response feature enables more nuanced interactions and decision-making support, offering deeper insights into the user's preferences and state of mind.
7. Holistic Well-being Insights: Groupings members can see user interactions, providing a comprehensive view of engagement and well-being without intrusive monitoring.
We conducted trials with Age UK to validate this approach, specifically addressing the three identified challenges through our Groupings concept and reciprocal interaction model.
Results
The implementation of Mindings Connect as an innovative, empathetic telecare solution yielded significant positive outcomes:
Befriending:
• An Age UK carer successfully used Mindings to send daily pictures to a vulnerable user, significantly enhancing their sense of connection.
• The user's responses to these images provided regular, non-intrusive confirmation of their well-being.
• Age UK identified Mindings as a promising tool for connecting befriending volunteers with service users.
• The user's responses to these images provided regular, non-intrusive confirmation of their well-being.
• Age UK identified Mindings as a promising tool for connecting befriending volunteers with service users.
Activity Promotion:
• Users responded enthusiastically to picture-based activity "nudges", showing increased interest in participation.
• User interactions with these prompts offered insights into their activity preferences and engagement levels.
• Age UK saw potential for continued use of this feature to boost social engagement while monitoring user well-being.
• User interactions with these prompts offered insights into their activity preferences and engagement levels.
• Age UK saw potential for continued use of this feature to boost social engagement while monitoring user well-being.
Day Centre Lunch Booking:
• The multi-response feature showed promise for information gathering and feedback at scale.
• Users' lunch choices provided both practical information and insights into their daily routines and preferences.
• Age UK recognised its potential for future applications in user engagement and service planning.
• Users' lunch choices provided both practical information and insights into their daily routines and preferences.
• Age UK recognised its potential for future applications in user engagement and service planning.
Social picture shared by a Groupings volunteer.
Age UK Invitation to join in a game of bingo.
Age UK day centre lunch invite.
Additional positive outcomes included:
Enhanced User Well-being: Users reported feeling more connected and happier due to increased interaction with their Grouping, appreciating the ability to contribute actively to their care.
Caregiver Satisfaction: The 'GotIt' button and content acknowledgments provided caregivers with reassurance through positive engagement, rather than passive monitoring.
Promoted Independence: By focusing on user-initiated interactions and positive content sharing, Mindings Connect supported users' sense of autonomy and control over their care.
Improved Care Coordination: Groupings members benefited from a holistic view of the user's engagement and well-being, enabling more responsive and personalised care without intrusive oversight.
Respected Privacy and Choice: Users maintained control over their interactions, enhancing their comfort with the technology and ensuring their consent in the care process.
Mindings Connect demonstrates how telecare can be reimagined as a reciprocal, empathetic process that not only ensures safety but also actively contributes to users' happiness and social connections. By prioritising mutual engagement and positive interactions, this approach shows the potential for technology to enhance the quality of life for users while providing effective support for caregivers. The success of the Groupings concept and the reciprocal interaction model in addressing various care scenarios illustrates how innovative thinking in telecare can lead to solutions that are both scalable and deeply human-centred, paving the way for a new generation of care technologies that prioritise well-being alongside safety.
Lessons Learned and Future Work
While Mindings is no longer active, our experiences and the positive outcomes observed provide valuable insights that could inspire future innovations in telecare.
These insights aim to inspire future innovations in telecare, continuing to push the boundaries of what can be achieved in terms of user engagement, well-being, and quality of life. By building on these ideas, future projects can work towards a vision where telecare is not just about monitoring, but about fostering genuine connections and mutual care between users and their support networks.
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