Award Date: 2018

Project Lead(s): Chanile Vines, Research Assistant

Project Title: iTAV - it Takes A Village

What is the issue?

Almost all adults say they would prefer to live at home rather than a nursing home. But for this to happen, caregivers need to know how to provide the best care for their loved ones. Most of the available apps for caregivers focus on scheduling and managing disabilities. They do not provide enough helpful resources for providing person-centred care.

What did we do?

We developed the it Takes a Village (iTAV) mobile app to help caregivers find additional resources for care planning. ITAV was originally a paper-based tool we developed at the Baycrest Hospital that was very helpful for caregivers. For this project, we conducted a series of design sessions with end users to develop a mobile app version. The final design was tested by 60 caregivers at home.

What did we find?

The iTAV app was very helpful and helped caregivers increase their confidence looking after their loved ones. It was more specific and powerful than conventional online search engines, and allowed them to describe their problems in plain language. The education and support provided through the app improved the lives of people living with dementia and reduced caregivers’ stress.