Service Design Through Continual Engagement: Case Study of a Dementia Care Home in India

Dementia care is increasingly becoming a problem of scale in India. The scarcity of trained caregivers augments this complex issue. Normal medical care falls short of providing the quality of life that a Person Living with Dementia (henceforth mentioned as PLWD) deserves. Families of PLWDs (henceforth mentioned as FPLWD) lack the necessary knowledge and skills to cope with the conditions of dementia and may choose the option of a residential care home. This chapter presents a descriptive case study of Service Design Engagement in a Dementia Care Home setting. The objective of the engagement was to design solutions that could alleviate their anxiety, stress and make the experience smooth and reassuring during the journey. The study elucidates the processes and methods used, the solution concepts implemented and the evaluation of the concepts. It highlights the benefits of Service Design, Continual Engagement and Participatory Design in social organizations. We conclude by discussing the merits of the methods used along with the insights, possibilities and limitations of the paper.