Edelweiss Village Residents and MIT Students Collaborate Together

Exploring the theme of “well-being,” graduate students enrolled in MIT’s Integrated Design & Management master’s program, who were divided into interdisciplinary teams, came together with the Edelweiss Village assisted living residents to learn about life in an assisted living both in general and during the course of the pandemic.

“We were thrilled to have the MIT students visit our campus and meet with our assisted living residents,” said Adam Berman, CEO of Deutsches Altenheim, the nonprofit that operates Edelweiss Village. Berman was impressed by the caliber of questions and depth of understanding by the students. “They were very intuitive and initiated a lively discussion.”

Incorporating a mix of design, engineering, and business backgrounds, the students met with 20 residents. Interviews were conducted on a one-on-one basis as well as in groups of three. Questions were focused around determining the quality of life in the assisted living, recreational and social activities, and how the residents stayed connected during the pandemic. In addition to the interviews, the students were able attend the assisted living’s weekly “happy hour” in an effort to observe the socialization process. The students also met with the Edelweiss Village staff via Zoom as a follow-up to the resident interviews.

“The residents at Edelweiss were not only critical to the education of our students, but they also opened their eyes to a world they were completely unfamiliar with and helped them become more compassionate designers,” said Tony Hu, Director, MIT Integrated Design & Management. Added Hu, “Through in-depth interviews and observations, the teams learned about the daily lives of the residents, their joys, and their challenges. Using human-centered design techniques, students analyzed their findings, distilled them into insights, and communicated the stories of the seniors with deep empathy.”

The project is divided into two parts. During the next phase, teams will generate digital solutions --apps, websites, devices -- to address the needs they uncovered through their research. After collecting the residents' feedback on prototypes, they will iterate to improve the solutions and then present them to a panel of faculty and professionals.

Natha Singhasaneh, one of the MIT Integrated Design & Management students, explained the significance of the project. “By talking to seniors, first-hand, we are able to empathize with the very people we are designing for,” stated Natha. “Apart from being a valuable learning experience, we truly enjoyed getting to know everyone at Edelweiss Village.”

About Edelweiss Village and Deutsches Altenheim

Established in 1914, Deutsches Altenheim, operated by Legacy Lifecare, was originally designed to serve as a retirement residence for elderly German Americans. As Deutsches Altenheim expanded and flourished, the organization became a centerpiece in the Greater Boston community. Today the nonprofit, with a consistent 5-Star rating, continues to offer superior care in a trusting and experienced environment. Its campus in West Roxbury provides long-term care, short-term rehabilitation, memory care, assisted living, and adult day health services to residents and clients of all ethnic, national, and religious backgrounds.

About MIT Integrated Design & Management Program

The two-year master's program is housed jointly in the School of Engineering and the Sloan School of Management. They have an even mix of students from design, engineering, and business backgrounds. Through a series of in-depth, hands-on projects they learn to identify and solve real-world problems with empathy and creativity.