Instructional design project “Home Help” displayed on laptop mockup, focused on effective client communication in dementia care

Home Help

Does your communication

support clients with dementia?

This concept project equips home health aides with communication skills that support their clients with dementia. It provides home health aides a foundation for handling real-life, dementia-inspired situations.

  • Audience: Current and future home health aides 

  • Responsibilities: Instructional Design, eLearning Development, Graphic Design, Animation

  • Tools Used: Articulate Storyline 360, Vyond, Figma, ChatGPT, MindMeister

The Problem

Home Help, a growing in-home care provider, faced a critical challenge: its home health aides struggled to communicate effectively with clients with dementia.

This communication gap led to frustration, decreased job satisfaction, high turnover, and, in some cases, lost clients. It also left clients with dementia and their families feeling confused and emotionally distressed.

The Solution

I recommended scenario-based eLearning to equip Home Help’s home health aides with the skills to communicate more effectively in real-world situations.

This immersive, interactive training allows learners to practice decision-making in a risk-free environment, building confidence through realistic client interactions and immediate feedback.

This is a scalable, cost-effective solution that fits home health aides’ diverse work schedules and locations. It strengthens empathetic, client-centered care while supporting Home Help’s long-term business goals.

eLearning scenario showing a home health aide connecting with a dementia client through family photo

Scene setting up a realistic, empathetic interaction

My Process

Bringing this project to life meant crafting a realistic, scenario-based eLearning experience from the ground up.

I led every stage of development—from mapping out key actions and writing a text-based storyboard to designing visual mockups, prototyping interactions, and building the final product in Articulate Storyline 360.

Iteration was key. I incorporated user testing and feedback at every step to refine and improve the learning experience.

Action Mapping

To ensure the training focused on meaningful behavior change, I collaborated with a subject matter expert (SME) to define the business goal and create an action map.

Instead of overwhelming learners with information, we pinpointed high-impact actions that home health aides need to perform when working with clients with dementia.

With these critical actions prioritized, I translated them into an engaging scenario-based experience.

Action map showing key decisions and behaviors home health aides take to support clients with dementia, created to align with the business goal of improving client retention by 15% over six months

Action map used to identify key performance goals and guide project scope

Text-Based Storyboard

A strong learning experience starts with a strong story.

I collaborated with a SME to ensure the dialogue, decision points, and consequences reflected real-world challenges. The SME’s insights—drawing from firsthand experiences with home health aides—helped shape the interactions, making them more authentic and impactful.

To support without disrupting engagement, I introduced Sally, a mentor character, who offers on-demand guidance. Instead of forcing information on learners, this "pull vs. push" approach empowers them to seek help when needed—reinforcing self-directed learning and problem-solving.

Once approved, the storyboard served as the blueprint for development.

Text-based storyboard showing scenario questions and learner feedback
Text-based storyboard showing scenario questions and learner feedback

Text-based storyboard outlining instructional flow, character dialogue, and mentor guidance

Visual Mockups

To create a polished, engaging experience, I first established the visual identity of the training:

  • Mood board: Set the tone with calming healthcare colors and home-like environments

  • Style guide: Ensured visual consistency across the experience

  • Wireframes & mockups: Designed and iterated on layouts before full development

This upfront design work helped refine flow, pacing, and interactions before moving into development.

Visual mood board showcasing design inspiration for dementia communication training

Mood board created to establish visual tone and emotional direction for the course

Style guide with typography, colors, and design standards for eLearning module

Style guide built to ensure visual consistency and meet accessibility standards through color contrast

Wireframes, visual mockups, and design iterations for an eLearning course developed in Storyline 360

Wireframes and visual mockups used to test layouts and iterate on design decisions throughout development

Interactive Prototype

Before fully developing the course, I created an interactive prototype using Vyond and Articulate Storyline 360 to test functionality, gather feedback, and refine the experience. The interactive prototype included:

  • Several interactive slides showcasing key design elements

  • The first scenario-based decision point with functional feedback loops

  • Variables, triggers, and states to control interactions and learner responses

User testing provided valuable insights, leading to key refinements. I adjusted decision points to ensure more natural learner choices and refined feedback wording to be more constructive and actionable. Additionally, I revised a negative consequence—initially, an incorrect response by the home health aide was not urgent enough, so I adjusted it to better reflect real-world interactions while maintaining the learning objective. These refinements helped create a more intuitive and impactful learning experience.

Animated prototype screen created in Vyond for scenario-based eLearning project

Early animation prototype built in Vyond to visualize character movement and scene flow

Interactive eLearning prototype built in Storyline 360 using Vyond animations and custom triggers

Final prototype in Storyline 360 showing interactivity and trigger sequencing

Full Development

After incorporating feedback from the interactive prototype, I fully developed the experience in Articulate Storyline, integrating assets, characters, and animations from Vyond to bring the scenarios to life.

Key Features:

  • Avatar selection: Learners personalize their experience

  • Mentor on demand: Mentor Sally offers guidance when needed, reinforcing self-directed learning

  • Scenario-based decision-making: Realistic social dynamics, including interactions with family members, add complexity to communication challenges

  • Immediate feedback loops: Learners receive positive reinforcement for correct choices and realistic, emotionally impactful consequences for missteps—helping them refine their approach in a safe environment

Results & Takeaways

“This is a clear, intentional, and learner-centered training solution—professional, relevant, and built for real impact.

— Healthcare Professional

“I wish I’d had this when I was caring for my dad who had dementia. It would’ve made a huge difference for my family and me.”

— Project Viewer, Caregiver

“I actually forgot I was learning. The story pulled me in. You can tell Amy put real thought into it.”

Learner Feedback

This project showcases the power of immersive storytelling and real-world consequences in training, incorporating subtle character expressions and body language to enhance realism.

Projected Impact:

  • Stronger relationships between home health aides, clients, and families

  • Fewer client outbursts and distressing situations

  • Increased job confidence and reduced burnout

To measure effectiveness, I would track client and family feedback, home health aide retention rates, and incident reports related to communication breakdowns. Future iterations could expand scenarios, integrate real-time coaching, and provide a reflective summary of learners’ decisions to reinforce key takeaways.

By allowing home health aides to practice realistic client interactions in a safe environment, this training builds empathy and confidence—leading to better outcomes for both caregivers and clients. Additionally, it can be shared with families of dementia clients, equipping them with effective communication strategies to strengthen relationships.

This project demonstrates how well-designed, scenario-based eLearning can enhance communication skills, improve caregiver confidence, and promote client well-being.