Caregiver Hints

I wanted to bring some attention to this web site, not only because it is run by a fellow caregiver, but also because I think it does a great job of highlighting the design aspects of products, and how they relate to making peoples’ lives easier. Some of the posts may relate directly to the elderly or handicapped, but I think it also emphasizes how good design can benefit everyone.

In their own words…

“This is a collection of design-thinking news, products and services around the Critical Support Point (CSP) of aging, the point when we may turn to our built environment, helpful products, and assistive services to prolong independence and maintain the daily life we want.

My purpose is to refocus user centered design-thinking to encourage the development of innovative products and services that extend and enhance the Critical Support Point. Increasing design-thinking around this topic will transform how society views, and how individuals experience the aging process.”

In today’s world of electronic-based lifestyles, social networking through the internet, and smart-phones, I think it pays for us as a society to start looking at how this evolution is affecting the older generation, and how it will affect future generations as the pace is likely to move even faster. Products need to be able to “talk” to everyone, and focus on usability, not just functionality.

So swing by Good Age Design Well and have a look.

Thanks to the folks over at Content.Robot, you can now access this site easily on an iPhone! If you come to the site using Safari on the iPhone or iPod Touch, the content will be reformatted to fit nicely on the screen with a very elegant and simplified theme. I almost wish the “regular” site looked like that. If you’re browsing the site with an iPhone, leave a comment or drop me a note to let me know how you like it. One of my objectives of the site is to help busy people (and who isn’t busy) get quick, useful information to help them with the job of caring for others. Hopefully this addition will make it easier for some folks by allowing them to use that time sitting on the bus, or waiting in the doctor’s office more productively.