Centering Our Values

A guide to making dementia care decisions together

Partner:
UChicago Medicine

Faculty Lead:
Tomoko Ichikawa

Class:
Communication Design Workshop

Project Team:
Harini Balasubramanian
Yuan Feng
Xuning Guo
Rachel Huvard 
Cagla Kuzu
Goeun Lee
Adithya Ravi
McKinley Sherrod
Andreya Veintimilla
Catherine Wieczorek
Yueyue Yan
Janine Zhong

In a collaborative, sponsored, research project with geriatric physicians at UChicago Medicine, IIT Institute of Design (ID) faculty and graduate students devised a workbook tool for patients and caregivers titled Centering Our Values: A guide to making dementia care decisions together. The workbook uses graphic narrative and standalone illustrations to show culturally appropriate solutions and care interventions. 

A growing body of research and literature has uncovered that African Americans endure disproportionately poor health outcomes in the American health system.  This project sought to provide a tool that supports caregivers of Alzheimer’s and dementia patients within the African-American community.  Alzheimer's disease and related dementias are growing rapidly amongst the aging population in the United States, and the African-American subgroup is exposed to two to three times greater risk for developing this disease than non-Hispanic Caucasians. Despite the disease’s growing prevalence, African-American caregivers are often unclear on the trajectory of the disease in patients, and are likely to choose aggressive end-of-life treatments due to gaps in access to healthcare.  The lack of culturally-competent health education and resources continue to hinder the quality of dementia care for this underserved population.

To view an abridged version of the guide, please click here.