Course: Master Project 2, Design Research
Year: 2026
Client: Anna Ouderenzorg
Individual project
As populations age and elderly care experiences increasing staff shortages, opportunities for personal interaction within everyday care become more limited. This study explores how identity-related information of elderly with somatic care can be translated into meaningful support within everyday care practice.
The research was conducted in two phases. First, ten card-sorting workshops with elderly and caregivers explored which aspects of identity are considered meaningful within
care. The findings revealed that participants often connected identity-related information to present-day quality of life rather than past memories or experiences.
Therefore, the second phase focused on how quality of life could be translated into actionable support through three co-creation sessions with caregivers. This resulted in five design propositions focused on small achievable everyday moments, guided reflection, personalization, integration within everyday care routines, and social connections between elderly.