CAREful

Demographic change in Germany and in most parts of Europe has a huge impact on TODAY‘s as well as TOMORROW‘s act of nursing. Due to the ever-aging population, there is also an increase in the proportion of people who need to be cared for. But these days, more and more people cannot afford this – often crucially necessary – care. In times of inflation, this problem will only worsen. There is already an increase in people who have no other choice but to take care of their elderly relatives at home. This master’s thesis therefore concerns itself with how this valued and trying job of caring for the elderly can not only be appreciated more, but also supported. With the help of the theoretical research and interviews with those affected and those who care for them, I found that the bathroom – with the help of co-design and medical design – is an area, where there is still room for improvement. After further consideration and evaluation of the interviews and with the help of workshops with affected people, I designed the stool “Hildegard”, which is especially pragmatic and – with its user-friendly adjustment – not only poses a possibility of improving the lives of the elderly, but also younger people. A concept illustrating what exactly such a bathroom might look like is described in this thesis; this is proposed under the pretext of today’s housing market situation as well as in the projected next few years. In this master’s thesis, a business model is designed in order to show from an economical viewpoint how “Hildegard” can reach success on the market.