Arts Thread

To family caregivers of dementia, the affected loved one comes first. This prioritisation is only natural, but in the process caregivers compromise on their own well-being. Centr is a product-service system that aims to support family carers of dementia, by bridging gaps between carers and formal support systems. It consists of a physical conversational prop for therapy settings and a digital app for carers. The physical prop acts as a tactile tool to aid conversations about “hard-to-discuss” topics. Using a set of tokens of different sizes and colours on the balance prop, carers can visualise the effort that goes into caregiving. The tokens are added to the balance to represent the balance carers have to maintain between care-duties and self-care. A set of reflective prompts have been designed to help therapists address specific factors that make up “burden” for each carer. The digital app allows caregivers to log their journey in balancing care duties and self-care needs. It connects them with registered caregiver support services, provides reminders to rest, schedules rest for later and provides an analysis of caring and resting patterns.