On Challenges Designing the Home as a Place for Care

Abstract

Traditionally, there has been much attention on workplace studies and design for work within the HCI (Human Computer Interaction) and CSCW (Computer Supported Cooperative Work) communities. Those communities have recently shown an increasing interest in healthcare and especially non-professional care settings such as patients’ private homes. When healthcare is moved from clinical settings to private homes, more attention is put on the care receiver, his/her everyday life and private home. In contrast with the hospital, the home however is not designed as a place for care. Moving healthcare activities, including treatment of severe diseases to private homes and other non-clinical settings (e.g. the patient’s workplace or vacation resorts) not prepared for these care activities may have severe consequences. In fact, the relocation of care may challenge, on different levels, the patients, their caregivers and society at large. This chapter presents and discusses seven challenges that the authors argue are important to consider when designing for holistic and sustainable home-based healthcare. Examples of these challenges are: Societal concerns, Complexity of care providers, Heterogeneity of care providers and Installation and maintenance. These challenges include law and legislation related aspects, environmental issues and the feasibility of large-scale deployment of home-care designs. The challenges discussed in this chapter have not been satisfactorily taken into account by the existing homecare designs and HCI research. Our chapter suggests that designers and HCI practitioners must be aware of, and reflect upon how these challenges can affect the value, feasibility and a wider implementation of their homecare designs.