Exploring the role of technology in the malnutrition care ecosystem of older adults: first findings from a co-design approach

Background: Malnutrition frequently affects adults aged 65 and older and is linked to both physical and mental health complications. As malnutrition is a multifaceted issue, older adults often find it challenging to improve their dietary habits. Home care professionals, dietitians, general practitioners, and informal caregivers can play a role in supporting older adults to improve their nutritional status. However, previous research indicates that the collaboration amongst care network members is suboptimal due to time limitations, lack of shared awareness, limited role division, and communication.

 

Digital solutions may offer new opportunities to support the nutritional care process. However, existing digital tools, such as monitoring applications, social robots, or smart spoons, are not always designed with end-user involvement. Moreover, these tools overlook the broader ecosystem of older adults, where effective collaboration amongst care professionals, informal caregivers, and older adults is crucial. This leads to our main research question: How can technology play a supportive role in the nutritional care process of older adults while taking into account their care ecosystem?

 

Approach: This paper presents a co-creation approach to explore older adults’ lived experiences with malnutrition and to identify opportunities for technology to support nutritional care within their ecosystem. Using a design thinking framework, the study aims to bridge the gap between dietetic practice and technological innovation.

 

Two sequential creative sessions were conducted: six older adults participated in the first session and four in the second. Before the sessions, participants received a sensitizing booklet to encourage reflection on nutrition and the support they receive from their care network. The first session explored participants’ experiences with malnutrition, the support they received, and their challenges in improving their nutritional status. The second session built on these insights, inviting participants to reflect on their discussions and design their ideal food experience. This process helped the researchers define meaningful design directions.

Results: The first findings from this research reveal how older adults are: 1) experiencing food moments as a crucial moment of social interaction, which they miss due to loneliness, 2) norms and habits limited their awareness concerning increasing their nutritional intake, 3) older adults did not experience a reciprocal relationship, making older adults hesitant to ask for help. These first insights suggest that digital interventions should not aim to replace but rather enhance human interaction during meal times, by for instance help identify when social engagement may be beneficial. Additionally, reinforcing the reciprocal relationship within the care ecosystem by helping older adults visualize the role and contribution may improve their reciprocal experience towards their network.

 

Implications: Most technological solutions addressing malnutrition primarily focus on functional support. However, these first findings highlight the importance of addressing the social dimension of malnutrition, specifically social interactions, reciprocity and connectedness within their care network.

 

Digital interventions should therefore extend beyond nutritional functionality and foster the social and emotional well-being. This approach shows that when exploring technological intervention in the field of healthcare, starting from the end-user perspective is key to fully unfolding the opportunities for technology.