Stay home, Stay Safe Kit for Elderly

Design Challenge

#1: How might we keep our communities in Singapore safe and healthy during the global COVID-19 pandemic?

Project Description

While many Singaporeans are savvy with technology and social media, there is a group of elderlies that are left behind, uninformed of current news and unaware of the seriousness of the pandemic.

The solution is to a direct mailer in a form of a first aid kit to educate and engage this group and bring awareness right to their doorstep. The kit, designed to offer keepsake value, contains some useful essentials like mask, Dettol soap, traditional medicated oil and an elderly-friendly colouring book. Besides providing the elderly a stay-at-home activity, the colouring book provides visual information to educate them on the fundamentals of staying safe and maintaining hygiene.

Criteria #1: Value

Why do the elderly have a tendency to want to go out?
• For those staying in rental flats (and sometimes by themselves), they could be affected by loneliness and claustrophobia
• Socially isolated, they are not connected to media and the community, and thus are unaware of the seriousness of the pandemic
• They are used to their daily routine e.g. A hawker centre visit is like a breather for them especially after being cooped up for a long time in a small, confined space

Criteria #2: Inspiration

How do we engage them?
• Traditional media like a direct mailer – something tactile and 3D will attract them rather than just a flyer.
• Simple illustration to educate them especially the illiterate among them
• Freebies that will help them improve their hygiene and keep them safe (get sponsorship for products)
• Keep them healthily occupied with simple, therapeutic craft like colouring. The drawings illustrate the importance of hygiene and social distancing.
• Send volunteers to distribute the Kit and explain how to use it

Criteria #3: Impact

Stay Home, Stay Safe Kit
To bring that urgent awareness to the elderly – the most vulnerable group amid COVID-19. There is a need to overhaul their mindset and get them to listen. The colouring book in the kit will help them occupy their time and keep them safe at home, but most importantly to ingrain in them the important rules to abide by during the pandemic

Criteria #4: Timeliness

The idea is to keep things simple and inexpensive. Can be done in 3 months provided there are minimum changes to the content for colouring activity book. To have some buffer time for changes, printing and production

Criteria #5: Systems Thinking

he proposed idea, which is to be implemented on-ground, ensures that the communication channel is extended to the non-media-savvy elderly who is gravely uninformed or who need more constant reminders due to poor memory. This colouring activity could help them have a better grasp of the current situation and make the lifestyle adjustments to stay safe. The door-to-door distribution of the kits by volunteers, such as SAC Befrienders, allows the elderly to clear their doubts or answer any burning questions about the latest developments. The kit serves as the perfect tool to create an occasion for volunteers to reach out to the elderly and ensure their well-being.