  In this paper we explore the feasibility and design challenges in supporting
co-located and virtual social interactions in residential care by building on
the practice of reminiscence. Motivated by the challenges of social interaction
in this context, we first explore the feasibility of a reminiscence-based
social interaction tool designed to stimulate conversation in residential care
with different stakeholders. Then, we explore the design challenges in
supporting an assisting role in co-located reminiscence sessions, by running
pilot studies with a technology probe. Our findings point to the feasibility of
the tool and the willingness of stakeholders to contribute in the process,
although with some skepticism about virtual interactions. The reminiscence
sessions showed that compromises are needed when designing for both story
collection and conversation stimulation, evidencing specific design areas where
further exploration is needed.
