Family caregivers face many challenges each day ranging from how to organize and track a senior’s health information to how to prevent their older loved one from experiencing a debilitating fall. The good news is that technology to support seniors and caregivers offers a variety of reliable and meaningful solutions.
Let’s talk about a few that might help you better manage your family caregiver responsibilities.
Tech Products to Improve a Senior’s Safety
Pay attention to the buildings and grounds from the minute you pull in to the community’s parking lot. Specifically look for:
- Medication management: Sometimes a senior just needs a simple reminder to take their medication. Smart phone apps like Mango Health or Dosecast can be used to alert the older adult it is time to take their medicine. Other times a loved one needs more than a reminder. For those adults, a system like Med Minder might be a better choice. These locked pill dispensers allow you to choose from options and features such as a blinking light in the compartment that contains the scheduled dosage, or an automatically generated text message that is sent to a caregiver if a dose is missed.
- Home monitoring: Many local and national home security companies have health monitoring options to supplement their basic services. They can alert a family member if a window or door is opened or if the senior presses a button to call for emergency assistance. Then there are national companies that focus on monitoring the senior’s whereabouts inside their own home. Alarm.com Wellness, for example, works off sensors discretely placed around the home. An adult child or family caregiver can monitor a loved one’s activity remotely. The system will alert a caregiver if there is a change in pattern or an emergency, such as a fire or other threat.
- GPS tracking: If a loved one who lives alone has memory loss, wearable GPS technology can be used to monitor their location. These technologies are designed to protect the senior’s dignity and privacy while keeping them safe. They look like an everyday watch, pendant or even a belt. SafeLink, PocketFinder, and Mindme are a few to explore.
Organize a Senior’s Health Information Using Technology
Keeping a senior loved one’s health information organized and stored in a manner that is safe but easy to access can be a challenge. This is especially true if multiple family members are involved in the senior’s care. Fortunately, there are tech products that make it easier to keep everyone connected.
- Caring Village: This helpful app allows you to store important medical information, make it easy for family and friends to sign up for a day and time to help with meals or errands, manage medication schedules, and more.
- Care Zone: Another app popular with caregivers is Care Zone. Among its many features is the ability to create a journal to document the senior’s symptoms, set reminders when it’s time to refill a prescription, document physician appointment results, and share reports with physicians.
If you are trying to coordinate meals, transportation, and other support across multiple people, Lotsa Helping Hands might be your solution. The primary caregiver can post requests on the Help Calendar and friends and loved ones can sign up to complete them.
Learn More About Senior Living Options
If you are struggling to keep up with your senior loved one’s care, an assisted living community might be the best solution. The older adult receives the support they need to safely maintain their independence and to improve their quality of life.
You can learn more by downloading The Complete Guide to Choosing Between Senior Living Options, compliments of Vitality Senior Living.
