Using cross-cultural collaboration and ‘design thinking’ to innovate aged care

Innovation and co-design in aged care delivery is a key solution to addressing the needs of the global ageing population, according to researchers.

Cross-Cultural Design for Healthy Ageing, published earlier this year, reports on a series of workshops involving university students and academics from Australia, China, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Students from nursing, design, film and media schools travelled to major urban cities to co-design projects, services and campaigns in aged care residential homes, hospitals and community housing precincts.

Lead editor and co-author Dr Lisa Scharoun, from the University of Technology Queensland, said the workshops encouraged students to transcend their different disciplines to produce new solutions for healthy ageing.

She spoke with Aged Care Insite about ‘design thinking’ and the power of cross-cultural collaboration in moving the aged care sector forward. 

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