Reengaging Seniors
From Reactive
to Proactive
Lifespark focuses on helping seniors age in place,but the existing care model reveled gaps in how and when support was delivered.
​
Seniors were caught in a reccuring cycle of reactive care, what we identified
as the "Sick Care Rollercoaster."
​
Care was usually introduced after a health crisis, followed by short-term
intervention, and then withdrawn, leaving patients vulnerable to future
decline and repeat hospitalizations.
Understanding the System
01 – The Challenge
Care for seniors with chronic conditions was fragmented across settings, leaving patients without consistent support at home and forcing them to navigate complex healthcare systems independently. The core issue wasn’t a lack of services—it was how and when they were introduced. This misalignment led to avoidable hospital admissions, poor care continuity, and a gradual loss of patient independence over time.
- Lead Service Designer responsible for mapping care trajectories and identifying critical intervention points within the existing clinical framework.
- Conducted field research to uncover breakdowns in care delivery across settings.
- Mapped end-to-end patient journeys to identify system-level gaps.
- Synthesized insights into clear opportunity areas for intervention.
- Facilitated cross-functional workshops to align stakeholders on priorities.
- Translated insights into service concepts and supporting digital experiences.
To better understand this pattern, I mapped the current and future care trajectories. This visual system revealed that the issue wasn’t a lack of services—it was when and how they were introduced. The insight became the foundation for shifting toward a more proactive, coordinated care model.
Current Trajectory
Future Trajectory
- The system reinforces a cycle of decline, where support is introduced too late and removed too early. By shifting the focus from reaction to prevention, Lifespark was able to reduce hospital readmissions and improve the long-term well_being of seniors. The proactive model ensures that care remains constant, providing a safety net that prevents crises before they occur.
- IMPACT
- 28% reduction in hospital admissions
- 36% fewer inpatient days when admitted
- 22% reduction in overall healthcare costs
- 69% NPS (vs. 38 industry average).
02 – My Role &
Core Contributions
03 – The Approach
04 – The Outcome
01.
Research & Discovery
02.
INSIGHTS & OPPORTUNITIES
- Disconnect between care design and frontline workflows created inefficiencies.
- Lack of a unified system led to time loss and missed data.
- Patients and families struggled to understand services.
- Service introduction lacked clear structure.
- Gaps in preventative support increased risk
SERVICE DESIGN PROCESS
I worked through an iterative service design process - moving from research and diagnosis into co-creation, prototyping, and refinement to ensure solutions aligned with real world needs.
To understand how care was delivered across the system, I conducted research across patients, caregivers, and clinical teams—observing care environments and mapping service interactions across multiple facilities.
This work focused on identifying breakdowns in coordination, communication, and how services were introduced throughout the patient journey.
RESEARCH CONDUCTED ACROSS:
- 7 care facilities.
- 30 stakeholder interviews.
- Competitive market analysis.
03.
OUTCOME
Care was typically introduced after a health crisis, followed by short-term intervention, and then withdrawn, leaving patients vulnerable to future decline and repeat hospitalizations. The new proactive model shifted this cycle, ensuring continuity of care and a measurable reduction in emergency readmissions.
Designing Around the 7 Elements of Senior Health
Lifespark’s care model is built around seven core elements that define senior health spanning physical, emotional, social, and environmental factors. A key part of this work was translating this framework into a more actionable, service-driven model, ensuring these elements were reflected consistently across care delivery, service design, and patient experience.
Digital Experience & Service Enablement
To support the new care model, I translated service concepts into digital tools that help patients, families, and care teams stay aligned.
​
These solutions focused on simplifying care navigation, improving communication, and making services more accessible—especially for seniors managing complex needs at home.
Restructuring the Service Model
I helped restructure caregiver services to better align with patient needs, shifting away from rigid categorization toward a more flexible, patient-centered model.
​
This created clearer pathways for care, improved decision-making for families, and ensured services were easier to understand and access.
Key Results
-
Enhanced Brand Communication: Shifted from clinical, system-centered language to clear, customer-centric messaging.
-
Agile Iteration: Introduced rapid iteration cycles to improve solutions efficiently.
-
Collaborative Innovation: Led co-creation across teams, strengthening alignment and shared ownership.
-
Distinctive Value: Defined clear positioning and identified new growth opportunities.
The senior care business now operates with stronger, more integrated capabilities—earning recognition from patients, families, hospitals, and local partners.
This work extended care delivery into the home, reducing reliance on hospitals while creating more consistent, patient-centered experiences
Visual concepts developed to support service design exploration
04.
the REFLECTION
This work reinforced that many healthcare challenges are systemic—not isolated. Improving outcomes required aligning people, processes, and services across the full care experience. It also highlighted the importance of balancing structure with flexibility—ensuring care models can adapt to diverse patient needs while remaining operationally efficient.