GeriLife is a comprehensive toolkit designed to empower caregivers in elder-care communities, promoting wellness and ensuring equitable engagement in life-enriching activities. This project, rooted in real-world insights and collaborative innovation, aims to transform elder care by making quality-of-life activities visible and coordinated.
Project Name: GeriLife Caregiving
Welcome to GeriLife Caregiving, an open-source initiative born from a blend of compassionate volunteering and innovative technology. Our journey began in the halls of an institutional elder care facility, where the simple act of choosing residents for daily activities unveiled a more profound need for inclusivity and coordination in caregiving.
Purpose: This project aims to transform how quality-of-life activities are managed and recorded in elder care facilities. Our experiences as volunteers revealed a critical gap: Although the caregivers meticulously tracked essential care such as hygiene, medication, and nutrition, they often needed more coordination in organizing life-enriching activities. Popular or socially active residents were frequently chosen for activities, unintentionally leaving others less engaged. This imbalance sparked family concerns about their loved ones' inactivity despite the facility's world-renowned care standards.
Recognizing this, we embarked on a mission to make the "invisible" visible. Our solution is a digital, shared activity notebook—a tool where caregivers can log and track the activities they facilitate. This system aims to empower each resident by highlighting their activity patterns and enabling them to participate in activities that align with their abilities and interests. The system supports caregivers by actively guiding them to engage residents in meaningful activities tailored to each individual's preferences.
Through this platform, we're not just logging activities but fostering a more inclusive and well-rounded approach to caregiving. By providing caregivers with an easy-to-use tool to record and view activity data, we empower them to make informed decisions that enrich the lives of all residents. Everyone contributes to a more vibrant, engaging, and equitable environment for older people, from volunteers to professional caregivers.
In essence, GeriLife is more than just a software tool; it's a commitment to enhancing the quality of life for older adults, promoting equality in care, and building a community around the shared values of compassion and innovation in elder care. Join us in this endeavor to bring a new level of transparency, coordination, and inclusivity to elder care facilities worldwide.
GeriLife is created by co-founders Brylie Christopher Oxley and Marjo-Riitta Rikala. The following paragraphs describe a bit about the history of how we created GeriLife and the purposes it serves.
A Volunteer's Insight: Our journey with GeriLife began not in front of screens or keyboards but within the bustling environment of an institutional elder care facility. As a volunteer, Brylie engaged with residents, bringing them joy through simple activities like walks, music sessions, or group events. However, choosing which residents to invite often fell to the on-duty nurses, who, despite their best intentions, tended to select the more social or visible residents. This unintentional bias left a silent but significant portion of the community overlooked. It was here, amid the day-to-day activities, where a nurse sowed the seed of our project.
From Observation to Action: In search of a solution, a nurse suggested Brylie use a small paper notebook to record the activities he facilitated —- names of the residents, the nature of the activity, dates, and other observations. This humble beginning, documenting activities in a notebook, gradually revealed a powerful narrative: the need for a coordinated approach to ensure every resident had equal opportunities for engagement and enrichment.
Uncovering a Hidden Need: The turning point came when internal reports and media coverage echoed concerns from residents' families about their loved ones' lack of activity. These families voiced that their relatives were often left sitting in their rooms, leading a primarily inactive lifestyle. This inactivity was particularly concerning given the facility's excellent reputation for providing top-notch care in hygiene, medication, and nutrition. It became apparent that while essential caregiving was well-tracked and coordinated, quality-of-life activities, often reliant on volunteers like myself, needed more organization and visibility.
The Birth of GeriLife: Inspired by this realization, we digitized and expanded this concept. The goal was to create a tool that would not only track these activities but also highlight the participation patterns of all residents. A simple yet profound belief fueled this initiative: regardless of social visibility or popularity, everyone deserves an equal chance to partake in activities that brighten their days and enhance their overall well-being.
Collaborative Efforts with a Co-Founder: The project took a significant leap forward with the involvement of co-founder Marjo, a manager at the elder care facility. Her extensive nursing, institutional care, management, and communication expertise was invaluable. She played a crucial role in shaping the features of GeriLife, tailoring them to meet the needs of various stakeholders, from family members to nurses, managers, and municipal administrators. Her insights were fundamental in securing an agreement for a pilot project with the City of Tampere, leading to substantial improvements based on user feedback. Her knowledge complemented my technology, web development, and data visualization background, making our combined skills pivotal in bringing GeriLife to life.
In summary, GeriLife is more than just a response to a logistical challenge; it is a heartfelt response to a human need. Recognizing and addressing subtle disparities in care is crucial to ensuring that every resident is valued and supported to thrive in their environment. This project is our commitment to enhancing the lives of older people, rooted in the real-world experiences and genuine concerns of those we serve.
Transforming Elder Care with Technology: At the heart of GeriLife lies our innovative solution—a Shared Activity Notebook, meticulously designed to address the overlooked aspects of elder care. This digital tool is our answer to a critical need: bringing visibility and coordination to quality-of-life activities for residents in elder care facilities.
Digital Evolution of a Simple Idea: The Shared Activity Notebook is a direct evolution of the paper notebook concept, leveraging technology to enhance its impact. Initially, the paper notebook served as a rudimentary yet effective way to record activities and participant details. Recognizing the potential of this approach, we developed a digital platform that not only retains the simplicity of the original idea but also introduces powerful features for comprehensive activity management.
Key Features of the Shared Activity Notebook:
- Effortless Data Entry: Caregivers can easily log activities, participants, dates, and other pertinent details. The interface is designed for simplicity, allowing quick and hassle-free updates.
- Inclusive Activity Tracking: The tool records every resident's participation, highlighting those who may be less visible or socially active, promoting inclusivity in activity selection.
- Dynamic Data Visualization: Caregivers and administrators can access various views of the activity data. This includes individual resident activity history, overall activity trends in the facility, and distribution of activities by type (e.g., outdoor, games, socializing).
- Empowering Stakeholders: Different stakeholders can access tailored information. Family members can view their loved one's activity history, nurses can oversee the facility's overall engagement, and managers can observe broader trends and make informed decisions.
- Actionable Insights: By analyzing activity trends and participation patterns, caregivers can identify areas needing attention and plan future activities more effectively, ensuring equitable engagement for all residents.
Impact of the Shared Activity Notebook:
- Enhanced Resident Engagement: By providing a clear picture of each resident's activity participation, the tool helps caregivers ensure that no one is left out, fostering a more vibrant and inclusive community.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: The aggregated data empowers caregivers and administrators to make informed decisions about resource allocation, activity planning, and overall care strategies.
- Building a Connected Community: This tool serves as a bridge between different caregivers (professional, family, volunteers), enabling coordinated efforts and a unified approach to resident engagement.
In conclusion, the Shared Activity Notebook is not just a technological solution; it's a commitment to enhancing the quality of life for elders in care facilities. We're creating a more equitable, engaged, and connected elder care community by making the invisible visible. Join us in revolutionizing elder care, one activity at a time.
Observing Progress in Elder Care: As GeriLife journeyed through its nearly three-year pilot phase, we witnessed a remarkable upward trend in the recorded activities within the participating elder care facilities. The increased documented engagement is a heartening indicator of the project's potential impact on older people's and their caregivers' lives.
Tentative Yet Hopeful Observations:
- Increased Activity Recording: During the pilot, we observed a substantial rise in the number of activities recorded in our Shared Activity Notebook. While we are cautious about attributing this solely to the tool's effectiveness, the data paints a promising picture of enhanced engagement and awareness among caregivers.
- Factors Influencing the Trend: Several factors might contribute to this uptrend:
- Caregiver Familiarization: As caregivers became more accustomed to using the tool, their efficiency and consistency in logging activities improved.
- Wider Roll-Out: The pilot initially included a smaller set of homes, gradually expanding to more facilities. This broader implementation likely contributed to the increased volume of recorded activities.
- Staffing Changes and Insights: Changes in staffing, potentially influenced by insights provided by our tool, might have played a role in improving activity engagement and recording.
Cautious Optimism and Future Research:
- We acknowledge the complexity of directly linking the tool's usage to improved resident engagement. Factors like caregiver familiarization, expanding use, and changes in staffing, among others, could all influence the data.
- However, the upward trend in activity recording is an encouraging sign. Our tool may positively influence residents' day-to-day lives by highlighting their engagement in activities.
- To better understand the true impact of our project, we are eager to conduct more thorough, controlled research. This research will help us untangle the various factors at play and provide a clearer picture of how our tool affects the quality of life for residents in elder care facilities.
Looking Ahead with Hopeful Optimism:
- As we move forward, we aim to create a tool and foster a movement prioritizing the well-being and engagement of every elder in care facilities.
- We remain hopeful about the potential impact of GeriLife. Our commitment is to continue refining our approach, informed by data and research, to ensure that our contributions make a meaningful difference in the lives of those we aim to serve.
In conclusion, GeriLife is a beacon of hope and progress in the elder care community. Although we proceed with caution in making definitive claims about the impact of our project on elder care, we have observed positive trends and believe that future research will illuminate its full extent.
Join Our Growing Community: At GeriLife, we believe in the power of collaboration and community to drive positive change. As we look ahead, we recognize the immense potential for growth and improvement that lies before us. Our journey thus far has been nothing short of inspiring, and we are determined to continue along this path with unwavering enthusiasm and dedication. Looking ahead, we are committed to actively propelling ourselves forward, and that is where you come in. By joining our community, you can help us extend our reach, enhance our tool, and achieve our sustainability goals.
Ways to Contribute:
- Diverse Contributions Welcome: We recognize all contributions by following the All Contributors specification. Whether you are a coder, a designer, a caregiver with insights, a family member with feedback, or someone passionate about elder care, your contribution is valuable.
- Contribute to Accessibility and Usability: Help us make our tool more accessible and user-friendly for caregivers of all backgrounds and skill levels.
- Offer Expertise in Various Domains: We welcome expertise in bug fixing, code development, content writing, design, research, and more. Every skill set has a place in our project.
- Support with Documentation and Translation: Assist in creating clear documentation and translating our content to make it accessible to a global audience.
- Participate in Testing and User Feedback: Engage in testing new features and providing feedback. User experiences drive our improvements and innovations.
- Ideas and Innovations: Share ideas for new features or approaches. We value fresh perspectives that can help us better serve the elder care community.
- Event Organization and Community Building: Help us organize events, webinars, or workshops to spread awareness about the project and engage more contributors.
- Promotion and Advocacy: Use your network to promote our project and advocate for its adoption in more elder care facilities.
Sustainability Goals:
- As we aim to build a sustainable business model around our project, we're exploring avenues for funding and revenue generation without compromising our core values of openness and simplicity.
- We're interested in partnerships, grants, and collaborations that align with our mission. Your contribution can be pivotal if you have experience or connections in these areas.
- Sustainability is not just financial; it's also about building a resilient and engaged community. Your involvement ensures the longevity and continued relevance of our project.
Joining Our Community:
- To get started, visit our GitHub repository. There, you can find detailed guidelines on contributing, current issues needing attention, and ongoing discussions.
- Engage with us on social media, forums, or community meetings to stay updated and connect with fellow contributors.
A Call to Action: We invite you to become an integral part of GeriLife. Your contribution, no matter how small, can create positive change in the elder care community. Together, let's build a tool that serves its immediate purpose and is a testament to the power of community-driven innovation in improving lives.
Join us in making GeriLife a beacon of hope, inclusivity, and progress in the elder care sector. Your skills, ideas, and passion are the keys to unlocking our full potential and achieving our shared vision of a better future for elder care.
Building a Sustainable Future for GeriLife: As we advance with GeriLife, our vision extends beyond creating a valuable tool for elder care facilities. We are equally committed to ensuring the sustainability of this project, both as a product and as a business. This commitment is rooted in our desire to continuously support, improve, and expand our impact in the elder care community.
Our Approach to Sustainability:
- Transparent and Ethical Business Practices: We believe in complete transparency and honesty. We are upfront about our goals, challenges, and strategies.
- Exploring Diverse Revenue Streams: While maintaining our commitment to openness and simplicity, we're exploring various revenue models. These could include offering premium features, partnering with elder care facilities for customized solutions, or providing training and support services.
- Seeking Grants and Funding: As an organization, we actively pursue grants and funding opportunities that align with our mission. In doing so, we reach out to organizations that share our passion for elder care, healthcare technology, and community-driven projects.
- Building Partnerships: Collaborations with healthcare providers, elder care facilities, and technology companies can open new avenues for growth and sustainability. Partnerships can help us refine our tool, reach a wider audience, and integrate valuable feedback into our development process.
Community Involvement in Sustainability:
- Engaging Our Community for Ideas and Support: We invite our community members to contribute ideas on achieving financial sustainability without compromising our core values.
- Volunteer and Paid Opportunities: As we grow, we'll offer both volunteer and paid opportunities to contribute to our project, ensuring we have the resources to sustain our efforts while recognizing our contributors' valuable time and skills.
Long-Term Business Goals:
- Establish a Self-Sustaining Business Model: Our ultimate goal is to establish a business model that allows us to reinvest in our product, team, and community, ensuring the longevity and continual improvement of GeriLife.
- Expand Our Impact: We aim to expand our reach to more elder care facilities worldwide, adapting our tool to meet diverse needs and cultural contexts.
- Innovation and Continuous Improvement: We are committed to ongoing innovation, ensuring our tool remains at the forefront of elder care technology.
A Call to Potential Partners and Supporters: If you share our vision for a more inclusive and engaged elder care community, we invite you to join us. Whether through funding, partnerships, or expertise, your support can be pivotal in helping us achieve a sustainable future. Together, we can ensure that GeriLife thrives as a project and flourishes as a beacon of innovation and compassion in elder care.
In conclusion, our journey towards sustainability is not just a business goal—it's a commitment to our mission of enhancing elder care through technology. With your support, we can make GeriLife a worldwide sustainable, impactful, and enduring part of elder care communities.
Copyright © 2022
The source code of this program is licensed under the EUPL v1.2 license.
Thanks go to these wonderful people (emoji key):
 Adrienne Li 💻 🎨 |
 Brylie Christopher Oxley 💻 |
This project follows the All Contributors specification. Contributions of any kind are welcome!
- ChatGPT. (2023). Contributions to GeriLife README (Dec 30, 2023 version) [Large language model]. OpenAI. https://openai.com
- Grammarly. (2023). Contributsions to GeriLife README (Dec 30, 2023 version) [Large language model]. https://grammarly.com