Elder Quest
A volunteer network supporting senior citizens living on their own
Problem Overview
Many elderly people living on their own do not have access to the physical and emotional support systems enjoyed by their peers living in assisted living homes. There are obvious increased medical risks that come with the aging-at-home experience, but an often overlooked health indicator is the degree of social isolation the aging at home population experiences. According to the CDC, social isolation and loneliness in older adults is a serious public health risk. Among other illnesses, loneliness has been linked to increased chances of Alzheimer's disease, and alarmingly it has the same impact on mortality as smoking 15 cigarettes a day!
"Social isolation and loneliness significantly increase risk for premature mortality. With an increasing aging population, the effect on public health is only anticipated to increase."
Juliannne Holt-Lunstad, PhD
Psychologist at Brigham Young University
Solution Overview
Elder Quest is an app that seeks to help ease chronic social isolation and its associated medical risks in the aging-at-home population by connecting volunteers with local elderly in the community. By raising the visibility of at-risk elderly citizens and identifying their acute needs, volunteers can filter on their community needs to find tasks that suit their skills, time, and comfort zone. Such tasks include donating essential home goods like food or paper towels, helping with laundry, or even having a short chat on the phone.
