“The Caregiver’s Handbook” is a short online guide that addresses caregiving challenges. The guide offers “3 keys to top-notch caregiving.” One of the “keys” is using an app to keep information such as calendars, medication lists, notes, and critical medical info all in one place. The Handbook says that there are 10 apps to try.
You can read the “Handbook” here:
www.edumed.org/resources/
(Scroll down a bit on that webpage for the list of 10 apps. The list of apps is copied below.)
Robin
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Excerpt from
“The Caregiver’s Handbook”
EduMed, 2019
There’s a growing marketplace for apps related to medical and health care. Some of these have calendars, medication lists, e-bills, notes, and other info or files to keep critical information. The best part of the apps is having everything all in one place, right there at your fingertips. On the other hand, using the apps appropriately is very dependent you’re your technological acumen, as well as even simpler points, like your cell phone’s battery life. Here are some great apps to try:
1. Caregiver Buddy:
If you’re caring for a loved one with memory loss, this is the app for you. It provides in-the-moment tricks and ideas to help your loved one cope, as well as live help if things get too difficult to handle on your own.
2. Caring Bridge:
This app forms a “bridge” between different members of the caregiving team, and even the loved one themselves, to help coordinate what needs to happen to ensure the best care. There’s even a guest book where you can share information with far-flung friends and family.
3. CareZone:
This app offers three distinct helping areas: A journal that allows you to share information on your loved one, a calendar that comes in handy for every situation, and a contact section that helps you keep doctors, insurance companies, and much more all in one place.
4. Caring Village:
This app designed for caregivers offers everything from checklists to assignable to-do lists to a wellness journal that allows you to “check in” with a loved one at any time. Not just for in-home care, this app can be used by those in senior housing or assisted living as well.
5. Dementia Caregiver Solutions:
This app offers hope for caregivers with helpful tips on 25 of the most common issues faced by those with dementia. These tips are designed to keep you grounded and hopeful when the going gets tough.
6. eCare21:
This virtual care platform touts remote monitoring as a way to help lessen the burden on the healthcare system, insurance companies, and of course, the caregivers themselves. This monitoring can take the form of watching almost everything, from how many hours of sleep a patient gets to what their vitals are at any given time.
7. Medisafe:
This reminder app for medications is not only great for the caregiver, but might be excellent for the patient themselves, as it could be one piece of the puzzle that allows them to live independently for longer.
8. MyMeds:
This app can pull in many people on a caregiving team, including doctors, patients, caregivers, and even insurance companies or representatives for payment of the medications needed by your loved one. The app works in real time, thus reducing the harm that can come from a mistaken or missed dose.
9. Pacifica:
Caregivers who deal with negative thoughts now have an app to combat them. Pacifica provides psychologist-designed tools to break the cycle, including meditation, mood tracking, relaxation and much more.
10. PainScale:
Designed for those who suffer from chronic pain, this app diary serves as a way to track pain levels, takes notes on what might be causing that pain, and find tips and insights that can help your loved one become more comfortable.