1. Highlighting 6D Playbook
Define the Problem
In a joint study conducted in July by Milieu Insight, a consumer research firm in South-east Asia, and Dementia Singapore, “more than 7 in 10, or 74%, of caregivers of people with dementia said in a poll that they were overwhelmed by their responsibilities. They said their biggest hurdles centred on the emotional and mental strains of caregiving. These include managing behavioural changes, navigating emotional stress and burnout, and coping with the gradual decline of their loved ones.” https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/dementia-care-7-in-10-say-it-is-a-daily-battle-that-takes-a-toll-on-health-relationship-and-mind
- Caregiving for individuals with dementia is emotionally and mentally taxing
- However, the well-being of caregivers seem to be often overlooked in society
Determine Goals
In The Caregiving Journey, players navigate from the initial diagnosis to tough decisions, exploring emotions, sharing experiences, and finding coping strategies. It aims to offer caregivers of dementia patients a transformative gaming experience that empowers them to find strength, support, and connection amidst the complexities of their role.
[S] Facilitate the translation of in-app behaviors into real-world actions by establishing
caregiver communities, aiming to promote self-awareness of caregivers’ mental states
and provide stress relief through fostering a supportive community environment.
[M] Implement pre and post-game surveys, monitoring of reactions and engagement,
creation of self-care challenges, and fostering community participation to reduce
caregiver stress and enhance self-awareness.
[A] Develop and implement user-friendly features that facilitate emotional recognition and
promote interaction among caregivers.
[R] Caregiver Consultancy – WhiteAngel would want to partner with The Caregiving Journey
to distribute it to its caregiver registry.
[T] Have at least 20 active users within the first 3 months
Decide Target Behaviours and Emotions
Target Behaviour:
- Users are having conversations about the caregiver’s well-being and can identify and address their emotions.
- Users share anecdotes or personal stories about caregiving challenges and triumphs
- Users regularly comment on posts and share thoughts in community discussions
- Users respond empathetically to other caregivers’ experiences and challenges.
- Users share practical tips, coping strategies, or resources to support fellow caregivers.
Target Emotions:
- “This game is simple and easy to use.”
- ”This game helps me recognize my emotions better.”
- “I love this game because it makes me feel understood and heard.”
- “It relieves stress and improves my well-being as a caregiver.”
- “Through this game, I feel like I am part of a supportive community.”
- “I am grateful to be a part of a community of caregivers who understand each other.”
- “When I rest, this game is something which I will subconsciously use.”
Describe and Profile Players
Player type: Socializer (All 3 profile)
Name | Age | Personality | Interest | Stress Reliever | Current Problem faced when relieving stress |
Karen | 54 | Workaholic and a dedicated/ committed individual | Yoga, Shopping, and planting of plants. | Having a Friday off from caregiver duties | The responsibilities of caregiving prove to be exceedingly demanding for her, making days off a rare occurrence. Furthermore, even on those infrequent breaks, she lacks the company of like-minded individuals who share interests or resonate with her. |
Tom | 67 | Patient and driven individual | Drinking, Socializing, and golf | Drinking a glass of beer as a form of relaxation and a coping mechanism from his caregiver duties. | The isolation he experiences is worsened by his role as a caregiver, leaving him without friends to socialize with when he desires to enjoy a glass of beer. |
Kenny | 33 | Adventurous and curious individual | Running, Cycling, and all sorts of sporting activities | Keeping oneself active with activities targeted towards personal development | While maintaining an active and fit lifestyle, he inadvertently neglects his caregiving responsibilities, leaving him uncertain about how to address issues that may arise with the dementia patient. |
Karen is a dedicated individual who prioritizes her work commitments.
Tom is a socializer who enjoys companionship while relieving stress.
Kenny likes sporting activities and he takes pride in his active lifestyle.
Design Gamification Strategy
Stage 0: Does your loved one show signs of dementia?
In the first stage, you will be offered a checklist from Alzheimer’s Society (UK), to help you determine if any of your loved ones might be showing signs of dementia. This can be downloaded and shown to the patient’s doctor.
Stage 1: Helping
In this stage, there are 3 challenges, which include memory matching games, as well as sharing personal anecdotes based on your personal experiences.
Stage 2: Involve
In this stage, you’ll find an informative mini-quiz to test your knowledge of the types of dementia, its symptoms, and risk factors. You’ll also get the chance to share some strategies or tips you’ve discovered for managing caregiving responsibilities. Finally, you will have the opportunity to engage in some self-care activities.
Stage 3: Intensive
In this stage, you can practice some relaxation exercises and share a picture of yourself doing them! You can also show your daily caregiving tasks through pictures and comments. Finally, spread some positivity by commenting on others’ posts. Let’s support each other!
Stage 4: All-encompassing
In this stage, you’ll get a chance to share how you manage your time and there will be some open-ended questions to share about current feelings.
Stage 5: Closing
In this stage, you can design a reflection journal, where you can share your caregiving accomplishments and the tough decisions you’ve encountered in your caregiving journey. Let’s reflect and celebrate your journey together!
Stage 6: The Life After
In this final stage, there will be a platform where you connect with other caregivers beyond the game. You may feel free to share your caregiving resources, tips, and advice with others, in the forum. Let’s stay connected and support each other even after the game ends!
Diagnose and Analyse Content
Using the 5 stages of caregiving as the guide for our storyline, users will go through each stage one by one and complete challenges to gain points, which they can later use to redeem rewards. The challenges in each stage will engage users and encourage them to have an open discussion which will promote interaction. The stories in the stages can help users recognise and identify their emotions which can help them plan for the journey ahead. The open discussion can also help users know that they are not alone, and find comfort in knowing many others are facing similar challenges.
2. Our Learnings
Our Journey
When we first embarked on this project, our knowledge of dementia and the experiences of those caring for patients was minimal. The issue of caregivers being overlooked in society was not something we were initially aware of. However, upon our extensive research, we realized the lack of sufficient and accessible resources and support systems, resulting in higher risks of caregivers experiencing stress, anxiety and burnout, which ultimately compromised their well-being. As we researched and consulted field experts, we caught a glimpse of the multifaceted challenges that caregivers face – challenges often invisible to those not directly involved. While these findings were disheartening, they fueled our resolve to create a platform for caregivers of dementia patients – one that supports and cares for them, even as they selflessly care for their loved ones.
Navigating Mentorship and Diverse Perspectives
Working with multiple mentors not only broadened our perspectives on the issue but also taught us an important lesson about the nature of guidance. We learned that while mentor advice is invaluable, it is not to be followed blindly. Instead, we discovered the importance of integrating their feedback, using it to inform our decision-making process and guide the development of our project. This approach allowed us to maintain a clear direction while incorporating a range of valuable insights.
Understanding Project Limitations
Perhaps the most crucial realization was understanding the limitations of our project’s scope. We acknowledged that we were not on a quest to find a magical cure for dementia or to completely alleviate the burdens of caregiving. Instead, we focused our efforts on creating a platform that could, even in a small way, ease the load of these caregivers. Our goal was to provide a tool that could offer some relief, and foster a sense of community for those navigating the challenging journey of dementia caregiving.
1. Play the game first.
2. Use the Template game for your own initiatives.
Credits: Benedict Poh (Leader), Tjong Jia Ning, Royston Chiew Wen Hui, Jaslyn Yap Lin Hui, Oh Xin Yu, Jason Kuk Jian Jie, Nursyakirah Jasnitasya Putri Binte Arif