CS 190/290B Spring 2008 Machines of Loving Grace
Interview Essay
Due in class Wednesday 18 March
Interview a friend or relative who has experience in taking care of an elderly person or a person with a disability. Questions to ask include:
- With what tasks and activities did the person need assistance? For each,
- Describe the task or activity and how the person's condition made it difficult to perform independently.
- About how much frequently did the person require assistance (e.g., several times a day versus a few times a month)?
- Who provided the assistance?
- If multiple persons were involved, how did the caregivers communicate and coordinate? What was the relation of each to the person? How did the relationship affect the kind and quality of care?
- What changes (if any) were made to the person's home or living arrangements to facilitate care?
- Were any non-electronic technical aids introduced? (For example, a lift chair to help a person stand; labels on the outside of cupboards to help the person remember was was inside; etc.) How well did these techniques work?
- Similarly, were any electronic technical aids introduced?
- In the caregiver's opinion, what were the top two or three problems that were most difficult to cope with?
- Ask the caregiver to imagine technologies or devices that could help with these problems (even if the ideas are too futuristic to be invented today). You can talk to the caregiver about some of the work you've been hearing about in this class in order to start the ideas flowing.
Turn your interview notes into a 3 to 5 page essay on "Experience and Needs Analysis of Coping with X", where X is the disability (possibly old age). Organize the material from the interview into a coherent essay, incorporating direct quotes from the interview subject as appropriate.