A Dyad-Based Mobile System to Support Older Adults and Informal Caregivers

Despite a gradual rise in health care expenditures due to population aging between the Year 2020 and 2060 in several countries, the overall increase will contribute to additional GDP share (e.g., 1.3 percentage points in the EU). To potentially reduce costs, ongoing developments of mobile Health (mHealth) applications is essential which provide digital health care using mobile devices. However, there is no dyadic mHealth architecture (i.e., between caregivers and their older adults) exclusively utilizing smartphones, aimed at supporting older adults’ well-being through regular follow-ups for their caregivers. In response, we developed a novel dyad-based architecture, including mobile applications for caregivers to check on their older adults’ physical activities (e.g., walking). Our system is not only considered mobile but also highly accessible due to the pervasiveness of smartphones. This work in progress also included pilot usability study analysis for the user interface and experience design. Among the findings, participants mentioned that the proposed system strongly supports them in their caregiving for their older adults. This study will serve as a precursor for future usability studies that will include wearables.