Neda. N
Los Angeles, CA
2025
UI/UX Design
UX Research
Mobile App
Careio;
Enabling families to care for aging parents with clarity and peace of mind, even from afar.
Introduction
Framing the Context
About
Careio is a mobile health application designed for individuals who live far from their aging parents. It enables users to manage health updates, medications, and medical appointments in a centralized and reliable way. The goal of Careio is to create a simple, human-centered solution that helps families feel more connected, informed, and confident in supporting their loved ones from a distance.
I worked as a UI/UX designer alongside two UX researchers over 4 weeks. Together, we investigated the realities of remote caregiving and designed for individuals who want to stay connected to their parents’ health while navigating busy, global lives.
Project Scope
The Core Problem
When distance complicates caregiving
Millions of adults struggle to support aging parents from afar, resulting in fragmented communication, missed care, and emotional strain.
Resources
Through desk research on long-distance caregiving, eldercare practices, and remote patient-monitoring systems, we uncovered consistent patterns across families navigating care from a distance.
Caregivers often feel overwhelmed when managing medical needs from afar.
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Scattered or incomplete health information.
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Difficulty making decisions remotely.
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Limited visibility into parents’ real health status.
How might we bring clarity, coordination, and peace of mind to families caring for aging parents remotely?
Desk Research
Understanding long-distance caregiving
To better understand the challenges of long-distance caregiving, user feedback from caregiving forums, social platforms, and reviews of similar apps was analyzed. Findings revealed that families consistently face recurring difficulties when caring for aging parents—problems that current solutions still fail to fully address.
Competitive Analyze
The gaps in today's solution
Families are drowning in disconnected apps, while real needs go unmet.
Looking at the top applications in the remote caregiving space, we analyzed how they support families caring for elderly parents. Through competitive benchmarking, we discovered patterns in how these platforms operate and where they fall short. We came to four key conclusions:
Medisafe
CaringBridge
Carely
SupportPay
Calm
The Fragmentation Trap.
Families juggle 3-4 specialized apps to manage medications, health updates, and appointments. Each app excels at its function but creates scattered information, duplicated effort, and an exhausting app-switching routine that increases stress.
Missing the Human Context.
Existing tools treat caregiving as a logistics problem calendars, task lists, and data entry, but miss the emotional reality. Families need peace of mind that comes from truly knowing their loved one is safe and healthy, even from 1,000 miles away.
The Visibility Gap Is Still Unsolved.
Even comprehensive apps lack real-time health visibility. Remote caregivers can't see their parent's current status, medication adherence, recent vitals, or emerging patterns, without calling or checking multiple logs.
One-Way Information Flow.
Current apps collect data but don't provide insights. They remind but don't predict, alert when something's wrong rather than prevent problems. Families are left interpreting patterns and reacting rather than planning.
Survey
Patterns Across Responses
Quantitative validation with 20 remote caregivers.
We surveyed 20 remote caregivers to quantify pain points, validate our hypotheses, and understand current behaviors. The survey included both closed and open-ended questions covering tool usage, confidence levels, emergency experiences, and feature priorities.
Key Demographics:
79% live 1,000+ miles from parent (extreme distance)
78% ages 35-54 (sandwich generation juggling careers and families)
84% coordinate with at least one family member.
53% use no caregiving apps at all, relying solely on phone calls
The survey revealed critical gaps in confidence (68% scored 3 or below out of 5 for medication adherence), technology abandonment (53% use zero apps), and overwhelming preference for proactive alerts over reactive tracking (37% top priority).
Interview
Voices From Real Experiences
Qualitative depth with 3 in-depth conversations.
Three in-depth interviews revealed hidden challenges of remote care, including concealed health issues, fragmented family coordination, and the need for trusted local support during crises.
Research Findings - Key Insights
What Real Experiences Revealed
What We Learned from Users?
Through surveys and interviews, we uncovered six key insights about remote caregiving, patterns that reveal why current solutions fall short and where the real opportunity lies.
When Distance Creates Doubt
Remote caregivers face deep uncertainty as aging parents often hide health issues, creating a trust gap between what’s said and what’s real.
"I'm not sure if my father tells the truth about his condition. He might hide pain or problems to avoid making us worry."
"I have a sister, but unfortunately there's no effective coordination or communication between us. We have a family WhatsApp group, but members usually aren't active and don't respond."
When Family Support Breaks Down
Although most coordinate with family, systems are informal and fragmented, messages get lost, siblings disengage, and caregivers feel unsupported.
Physical Distance Creates Emotional Paralysis
The hardest part isn’t logistics, it’s the emotional weight of needing to help but being unable to. Caregivers describe helplessness, guilt, and constant underlying anxiety.
"Knowing they're in a difficult situation but you can't help because you're far away. Knowing they're alone in that situation when they really need me. I felt complete abandonment and helplessness."
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"We only make phone calls. That's the only way. There's no program or anything else that's useful."
International Caregiving Amplifies Every Challenge
This isn’t typical long-distance care, it’s extreme international separation, where distance is physical, technological, temporal, and cultural.
“Peace of mind means knowing a trusted person is there, properly caring for them—handling daily needs so my elderly mother doesn’t have to.”
User Persona
Designing With Real People in Mind
When Apps Fail, People Fall Back on Phone Calls
Despite the app era, many rely solely on calls and memory; others juggle disconnected tools that still lack real visibility—leading to constant, frustrating check-ins.
"Sometimes he forgets to turn on the internet or there isn't enough signal. Making calls becomes difficult and causes stress. Everything is very complex and difficult."
Critical Care Still Requires Human Presence
Remote monitoring may work for moderate needs, but complex care requires trusted local, hands-on support—something that’s nearly impossible to find and coordinate from thousands of miles away.
Walking in User’s Shoes...
Sousan
The Independent Aging Parent
"I appreciate that my children care, but I don't need them calling me five times a day. I'm not helpless yet. I just need help remembering my pills sometimes."
Sara
42
Seattle, WA
80
Iran, Tehran
The Overwhelmed Distance Caregiver
A working mother juggling career and family while caring for her aging mother thousands of miles away. Constant uncertainty about her wellbeing and scattered information across multiple apps leave her anxious, exhausted, and one crisis away from breaking down.
"I just want to open an app and see that mom is okay, that she took her medications and nothing is wrong. I don't want to call her five times a day just to check."
Elizabeth values her independence but struggles with memory and managing six daily medications. Multiple calls from worried children make her feel like a burden. She wants to stay connected with family without feeling surveilled or losing control of her life.
Journey Map
Understanding the Care Experience Step by Step
We examined the caregiving journey to reveal moments of friction, failure, and unmet support needs.
Sara
42
Seattle, WA
Goal: Verify mother took morning medications and is safe.
Wake up & Worry
Actions
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Wakes up thinking about Mom
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Checks phone for messages
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Calculates time difference
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Prepares for check-in
Attempt Connection
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Opens WhatsApp
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Calls mother
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Waits for answer
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May retry 2-3 times
The Conversation
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Asks about medications
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Asks "How are you feeling?"
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Listens for clues
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Reminds about evening meds
Update Family
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Opens family group chat
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Types update
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Waits for siblings
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May ask sister to verify
Pain Points
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Anxiety starts immediately
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No automatic status check
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Time zone mentally taxing
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Guilt about bothering her
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Iran's internet unreliable
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Mother forgets internet/charge
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Poor video quality
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Can't tell if tech or emergency
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Iran's internet unreliable
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Mother forgets internet/charge
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Poor video quality
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Can't tell if tech or emergency
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Siblings don't respond
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Info buried in chat
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Duplicate efforts
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Mother complains about multiple calls
Emotions
Opportunity
Sousan
80
Iran - Tehran
Goal: Stay independent without feeling like a burden.
Morning Routine
The Morning Call
Actions
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Wakes up, checks blood pressure
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Tries to recall which pills to take
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Checks pill organizer (sometimes empty)
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Prepares breakfast alone
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Waits for daughter’s call
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Daughter calls (WhatsApp)
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Asks about health and meds
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Says “I’m fine” despite uncertainty
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Senses daughter’s worry
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Ends call quickly to avoid being a burden
Evening & Medication Crisis
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Realizes she may have missed pills
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Panics: take now or skip?
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Can’t reach daughter (time zone)
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Takes pills anyway, unsure
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Another family call about dinner
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Lies: "Yes, I ate. Yes, I took everything."
Isolation & Night Worry
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Eats alone (sometimes skips)
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Watches TV for hours
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Neighbor checks in inconsistently
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More worried calls from children
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Prepares for bed alone
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Worries about today’s mistakes
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Fears children will “find out”
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Forgets medication intake
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Confusing pill system (6 meds)
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Anticipates worried calls
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Feels pressure to say “I’m fine”
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Feels interrogated, not trusted
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Avoids worrying children
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Hides medication confusion
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Calls drop due to poor internet
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Daughter’s stress adds guilt
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No guidance when children are unavailable
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Fear of medical mistakes
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Time zones block access to help
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Calls feel like surveillance
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Hides issues to avoid worry
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Long periods of isolation
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No reliable reminder system
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Growing memory gaps
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Calls feel like surveillance
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No peace of mind at night
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Fear of being “caught” lying
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Fear of losing independence
Pain Points
Emotions
Opportunity
Careio - Ideation & Prioritization
From Ideas to Focused Decisions
Brainstormed Features
After analyzing user pain points from research, we generated 15+ feature ideas addressing the core challenges of remote caregiving.
High Impact
⭐ Medication Reminders
⭐ Health Monitoring
⭐ Trusted Local Caregiver Network
⭐ Crisis Coordination Mode
Care Task Escalation Flow
⭐ Document Storage
⭐ Appointment Calendar
⭐ Real-Time Medication Tracker
⭐ Family Coordination Dashboard
⭐ Caregiver Vetting & Verification System
Shared Care Timeline
Role-Based Access Control
⭐ Emergency Quick Access
Low Effort
High Effort
Daily Check-in Status
Care Notes
Shared Care Contacts
Medication History View
Language Preferences
Quiet Hours / Do Not Disturb
Critical Emergency Override
AI Health Predictions
Video Call Integration
⭐Medical Device Integration
Low Impact
Brand Identity
Shaping Trust Through Visual Language
Overview
Careio is designed to bring clarity, reassurance, and structure to long-distance family care. The brand balances calmness with trust—supporting families during stressful moments without adding complexity or noise. The visual language is intentionally minimal, warm, and human, helping users feel supported rather than monitored.
Logo
The Careio logo combines Care and Connection through the letter C and an Input / Output (IO) concept.
The open “C” represents accessible, continuous care, while the IO form symbolizes a two-way flow of information and support across distance.
The mark reflects an ongoing exchange—updates in, reassurance out—positioning Careio as a connective layer that keeps care moving when families are apart.
Icon
The icon distills this idea into a simple, recognizable form optimized for mobile use.
Its balanced geometry communicates stability and trust, while the IO core highlights Careio’s purpose: enabling clear, reliable communication without overwhelming users. The design intentionally avoids clinical or medical symbolism, positioning Careio as a supportive system—not a surveillance or hospital tool.
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Color
Careio’s color palette is designed to communicate trust, clarity, and reassurance in high-stress caregiving situations.
Together, these colors balance emotional calm with functional clarity, ensuring the interface feels supportive without becoming clinical.
#102540
#2F84F1
#42AA01
Typography
Careio uses Roboto in Bold, Medium, Regular, and Light weights to ensure clarity, accessibility, and visual hierarchy. The typeface supports long reading sessions and delivers a clean, modern feel across all interfaces.
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Aa Bb
Roboto Bold
Roboto Light
UI Design
Designing for Peace of Mind
Designing for Peace of Mind ...
The Careio dashboard is designed as the central source of truth for remote care. Its primary goal is to reduce uncertainty by giving users an immediate, clear understanding of what matters most, without requiring multiple calls, messages, or manual checks.
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To ensure care doesn’t stop at information, the Services section connects families with trusted, on-the-ground support, making it possible to take action when remote care isn’t enough.
To keep care organized across distances, the Appointments section helps families schedule, track, and manage medical visits with clarity and confidence.
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The dashboard gives patients immediate access to their upcoming appointments, supporting independence and clarity.
From the dashboard, patients can easily access their profile to view, add, or update personal and health information at any time.
Impacts from User Feedback
User Feedback Highlights the Power of Clarity, Trust, and Coordination in Remote Care.
Since Careio is a concept project without live usage data, we focused on qualitative feedback from surveys and in-depth interviews.
What users shared revealed a clear pattern: peace of mind comes not from more features, but from clarity, visibility, and knowing who is responsible for what.
Participants emphasized how uncertainty, fragmented communication, and lack of coordination amplify stress, especially when caring for loved ones from a distance.
If implemented, success would be measured by reduced anxiety, fewer reactive check-ins, and greater confidence in daily care routines.
“Knowing someone local is actually handling things would change everything. I wouldn’t feel like I have to check in all the time.”
“I don’t need more apps, I need one place where I can trust what I’m seeing.”
“If I could clearly see what’s been done and what’s next, I’d finally feel at ease.”
What We Learned.
Designing for peace of mind goes beyond adding features.
Health-related experiences are deeply emotional, and users need reassurance and trust as much as functionality.
Clarity reduces anxiety more than complexity solves problems.
Clear information hierarchy, calm notification tone, and lower cognitive load significantly impact user confidence.
Coordination matters more than more tools.
Fragmented apps and workflows increase stress, while unified, simple flows help users feel in control—even from a distance.
Design bridges the gap between worry and action.
Thoughtful structure and prioritization enable users to move from uncertainty to confidence, turning information into meaningful action.
Next Steps ...
Deepening the Experience and Expanding Impact The next phase of Careio would focus on deepening existing flows rather than simply adding screens.
This includes refining core interactions, validating assumptions through usability testing, and exploring how the product can better adapt to users’ evolving needs over time.
Future iterations could expand Careio by:
Enhancing existing features with smarter automation and clearer feedback
Exploring additional services and support options based on real user pain points
Diving deeper into complex caregiving scenarios to design more responsive and flexible solutions
Rather than expanding the number of screens, the goal would be to expand the depth of support, making Careio feel more reliable, human, and aligned with real-life challenges.
