In this day and age, technology is touching every facet of our lives and caregiving is no exception. Making the most of the apps and gadgets out there can make being a caregiver that much easier and more effective.
Image Source (CC BY 2.0) by iain via flickr
Free apps
iBiomed helps caregivers keep a detailed log of a senior’s medical information. Start by creating a profile for your senior including what medications he or she is taking, what tests he or she has had, and any special diets or supplements, and then keep the profile up-to-date by making regular notes in the app. You may want to use this app together with Pain Care, which specifically helps track and manage pain.
iPharmacy Pro is a comprehensive guide to prescription meds in layman’s terms. It gives information on the purpose, side effects, contrainteractions and more. While the app is certainly not a substitute for a physician or pharmacist, it is a handy tool for general information, if you forget something a healthcare provider already spoke to you about, or if you’re simply curious in broader information including what’s been published about a drug by the Food and Drug Administration or in clinical journal articles.
Paid apps
Pocket First Aid & CPR is not free, but may very well be worth purchasing. Based off of the American Heart Association’s guidelines for CPR, this app can walk you through responding to someone in your care having a cardiac episode, begins to choke, or needs basic first aid. Calling 911, activating the app and following its instructions until help arrives may save the life of the person in your care.
Balance is another inexpensive tool that focuses specifically on Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers. Created by the National Alzheimer Center, it offers a variety of features that Alzheimer’s caregivers may find useful. You can get information on the ins and outs of Alzheimer’s, as well as news updates about the disease and strategies for taking care of a loved one struggling with the condition. You can also track their medication schedule and doctor’s appointments and share calendars and coordinate care with other family members or homecare professionals, and other members of the senior’s healthcare team.
Other gadgets
A video monitor is a great tool for when you need to step out of the room but are afraid that even a short absence may endanger the senior in your care. Most video monitors available today connect to tablets, computers and cell phones so you can watch on whatever device is convenient for you, wherever you are. Of course this arrangement is only recommended if you are on site – keeping an eye on a senior from a distance at which you would not be able to assist if necessary is not helpful and may be an unwelcome intrusion of privacy – but when you want to make dinner or tidy another room, and can provide just the peace of mind you need.
Big-buttoned devices will make the caregiver and senior’s lives easier by maintain the senior’s independence longer. Buying TV remotes, cell phones and any other household gadget you can think of with large buttons makes it easier for the elderly to see the buttons and use these items on their own. Jitterbug is one example of a cell phone designed specifically for seniors and in addition to large buttons has a very loud ring option.
Making the most of the tools out there can help you provide the best possible care for your charges. Abcor caregivers are well-versed in technology so that our Chicago home health services are second to none!