Meet the SOARWell-AiP Research Assistants!

Written By Guest User

The SOARWell-AiP project aims to explore how voice assistants (e.g., Google Assistant) may increase older adults’ wellbeing and/or independence to help them age in place. For this study, participants are given a Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen smart speaker to use in their home, and are encouraged to regularly use it for a period of six months. To support participants, they are paired with one of our research assistants: Mya George or Madi Badger, who remain their main point of contact for the duration of the study. Mya and Madi connect with their participants on a monthly basis to check-in on progress, conduct interviews about participants’ perceptions and experiences using the voice assistant, and offer technical support. Importantly, these touch points provide Mya and Madi with the opportunity to learn about our participants, support their participation in the study, and build trusted relationships. Get to know our research assistants through their bios below!

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Madi Badger (she/her), MA

Hello folks, my name is Madi and I am a PhD Student in the Applied Health Sciences (Social and Cultural Health Studies) program at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario. While I come from an anthropology background in my previous studies, my PhD thesis research will focus on social and cultural health in the LGBTQIA+ community from a recreation and leisure perspective.

As a research assistant on this project, Mya and I are each responsible for our own set of participants. This includes interviewing them, answering questions, providing training on how to use the Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen, and meeting them for check-ins to make sure they are getting the help they need. I look forward to continuing to work with these folks to help support them through their participation in our study.

At this stage in the project, I have had many opportunities to connect with older adults to discuss what aging in place means to them and how the voice assistant may be helpful for that process. My favourite aspect of research is getting to interact with people and learn about what is important and impactful to them, which is what first interested me in the SOARWell-AiP project. Beyond research, I also like to get involved in my communities in other ways. Currently, I am a committee member with Safe Space Niagara, a local non-profit focused on providing the LGBTQIA+ community with a safe, accessible communal space.

Madi’s Device (featuring Franklin, the Lab Technician)

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Mya George (she/her), BHSc

Hi everyone, I’m Mya! I am currently a second year Master’s student at McMaster University in the Health and Aging MA program. My thesis research focuses on the experiences of older adults with close-friend bereavement and is being supervised by Dr. Nicole Dalmer. It has been such a privilege to talk with older adults about their close friends, the meaning and value of such relationships, and to learn about what grief looks like for them.

For the SOARWell project, I work alongside Madi on everything from onboarding new participants to conducting device training and meeting with participants. It has been nice to connect with so many participants over the course of the summer and help to troubleshoot any issues!

Prior to starting this project, I had only used the Google Home Mini. It has been interesting to learn about the added functionality of the Google Nest Hub, as unlike the mini, it has a screen and can show videos and photos.

Outside of this project and my thesis work, I am involved in accessibility advocacy work through the Accessibility Hamilton Alliance (AHA!). As a group, we work to promote accessible film-going experiences through our annual film festival, we advocate for necessary change in the city in the city of Hamilton and produce relevant podcasts in collaboration with other organizations. Fun fact: technologies used in virtual assistants (such as voice recognition) were originally designed to support individuals with mobility impairments and sensory disabilities.

Mya’s Device (featuring Hettie the Hedgehog for scale)

Our Favourite Functions on the Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen

Mya:

  • Listening to radio stations from back home in Southern Alberta!

  • Seeing different art on my device display

  • Asking for synonyms of words while I am writing—I find it disrupts my focus less than navigating to another tab to search manually

    Madi:

  • Being able to switch my lights and TV on/off by just using my voice

  • Setting alarms for myself (while cooking, when to leave to get to appointments on time, etc.)

  • Checking the weather, which can be given in either Celsius or Fahrenheit!

Our Tips on Using the Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen

Mya:

  • Always check if the Google Home App has a pending update!

  • Set up ‘Night Mode’ which dims the brightness of the display and lowers the volume for less obtrusive use in the evening.

Madi:

  • If your voice command doesn’t work the first time, trying saying “Hey, Google!” and then taking a short pause before asking your question/giving your demand. 

  • If you still feel like the device isn’t capturing what you are saying, try turning the “Hey, Google” sensitivity all the way up! 

SOARWell-AiP was designed to prioritize the importance of consistent and participant-centered engagement. By pairing each participant with a dedicated research assistant (either Mya George or Madi Badger), the study fosters strong, ongoing relationships that support both the research process and participant experience. These connections will be integral to empowering participants to make full use of the voice assistant and for understanding how this may enhance wellbeing and independence for them or other older adults. We invite you to learn more about the research project on our website, through our social media accounts, or by reaching out to our team.

Stay tuned for future blog posts featuring other team members as well!

Guest User