Caregiver Services — UX Case Study
Back in the year 2012, almost one in seven Canadians was a senior. It means that over 6 million Canadians were aged 65 or older, that is 15.6% of Canada’s population. Moreover, by the year 2030, the number will jump up to approximately one out of four seniors and the amount will increase over 9.5 million and make up 23% of Canadians. These dramatic changes in demographics show new opportunities for society.
Senior Care Connect is an organization that gives an opportunity for families to find a qualified caregiver for their loved ones. One of the main goals of Senior Care Connect is to create a mobile app that will be an online marketplace that brings families and caregivers together and connects them in a wireless environment. Moreover, the app will help families reduce stress, save time and money finding care for their ageing family members.
RESEARCH
Our research journey started with interviewing caregivers and families that use caregiver services. Four caregivers and three families were interviewed, and we got six survey responses.
Competitive Analysis
Four main features that are crucial for Senior Care Connect are:
- Ability to rate families and caregivers;
- Ability of instant messaging within the app;
- Ability to search caregivers according to families’ needs;
- Ability to see a caregiver’s profile before connecting with them.
PLANNING
Persona
As a passionate caregiver, I want to be able to give the best time for the elderly, so that I can impact their lives, especially in their palliative stage.
As a busy working daughter, I want to find a Personal Support Worker (PSW) caregiver so I can focus on work and be certain that my mom is getting the best care at home.
Identifying problem
For families, the search of a caregiver is stressful, intense, time-consuming and tedious. They want to be able to see in advance such things as caregivers experience, skills, hourly rate, certification, and medical knowledge. Also, they want to have an opportunity to hire a caregiver at an affordable price and to avoid paying an agency commission.
For a caregiver, it is challenging to find a job placement that will accommodate all their professional needs
Identifying solution
An app where families and caregivers can meet on equal conditions. This app will enable caregivers to apply for a job which meets their needs and expectations, while families can post their requests and actively look for a suitable caregiver.
Feature prioritization
Based on the client’s requirements and what we found out from the research we designed a mobile app, which consists of two parts: one part for families and the other part for caregivers.
Site map
DESIGN
Low Fidelity Sketches
These were the first steps to help my team and me to visualize our app.
Mid-Fidelity Sketches
During these steps, the functionality was a bigger priority to us in comparison to the appearance of the app.
TEST
Usability Test
Five usability tests were done. The goal was to find out if creating a job post and finding a caregiver is straightforward and achievable
The task was to create a job post and find a caregiver for mom.
Success criteria were a task completed, the business model is clear.
PROTOTYPE
Hi-Fidelity Sketches
CONCLUSION
Statistically, the amount of retired people has dramatically increased recently. Finding a good caregiver, as well as a family to work for, is a time-consuming process. People want to have an opportunity to see the profile of an employer or a caregiver in advance before they will meet in person for an interview.
We designed the app where both sides meet & greet on equal conditions. This app will give an opportunity for caregivers to apply for the best suitable job, as well as families to search for a qualified caregiver. Both parties have total control over the process. The main takeaways for the app users are safety, reliability, clarity, and flexibility.