If you've heard before that caregiving for an aging loved one is a full-time job, you've heard right. In fact, family caregivers spend approximately 40.5 hours per week on such duties, while those who are caring for either a spouse or partner spend an average of 44.6 hours per week. To say it's a demanding task is an understatement, and it's why caregivers should be looking to make their jobs easier however they can.
It shouldn't surprise you to learn that help can fit in the palm of your hand—literally. We're talking about the bevy of caregiving mobile apps that you can download to help make your important duties a little more manageable. In this post, we'll take a closer look at some of the best apps for caregivers:
1. CareZone
Tired of scribbling in notebooks or scrambling to keep medical information all in one place? Then maybe it's time to let CareZone do it for you. Simply put, CareZone is an easy, convenient means of storing medical information somewhere where you'll always be able to access it and will never risk losing it.
You can update it as things change and even invite friends, family members, and other caregivers to access the information as well. You can create to-do lists, set reminders, keep a log of allergies, store digital copies of medical insurance cards, and even read up on informative articles from reputable sources about conditions, disabilities, or illnesses. Best of all, CareZone is completely free.
2. MedHelper
Like CareZone, MedHelper is another key tool for caregivers as it pertains to logging prescriptions, doctor's appointments, vital signs, and more. Just think of it as an ally in medical management. You can even create detailed health reports in the app and share them with doctors or other medical professionals. And again, it's free.
3. CaringBridge
They say it takes a village to raise a child. The same can be said for caring for an aging loved one. And if you're a part of this village, then you know that it can be difficult to keep tabs on what everyone else is doing to help care for your loved one. That's the big advantage of CaringBridge, as it's designed as more of a collaborative application for multiple caregivers to use to connect with each other and the loved one they're all caring for.
CaringBridge is a medium to log important information, arrange care, and share updates. It's also unique in that it allows users to write journal entries and share photos of their loved ones. It's an application that can simply keep a family more connected as caregivers. After all, sometimes staying positive and lifting up everyone that's part of the village can be as big of a challenge as providing care itself.
4. Headspace
Caregiving is a full-time job. And when you factor in this along with another job that you're working, the days become long and the weeks can become a grind. While you're keen on providing care for your loved one, sometimes you may lose sight of taking care of yourself. That's where Headspace comes in handy—it's a self-help application for caregivers, specifically designed to help with relaxation and sleep.
It offers tips on how to master meditation to alleviate stress and anxiety, and features other support tutorials to help people get through difficult periods. It's an app for you, the caregiver, but it's not necessarily related to any caregiving duties. Essentially, it can help you be your best self each day, whether you're at your full-time job or your other caregiving full-time job.
5. Caring Village
As we said, caregiving can take a village. And Caring Village can help your family of caretakers more easily coordinate and provide care for loved ones. After all, communication breakdowns between family caregivers are only likely to lead to internal strife and a poor quality of care for the loved one in need.
With Caring Village, families can share secure direct messages, customize plans and to-do lists for their loved ones, and store documents, medications, and wellness journals. The app was purpose-built to streamline communication among multiple caregivers—and that's exactly what those who use it are able to achieve.
6. eCare21
Unless your loved one also resides with you, it's difficult to stay on top of everything 24/7. With eCare21, you now can—at least to an extent. The application provides real-time monitoring via wearable devices, allowing caregivers to check heart rate, glucose levels, activity levels, caloric intake, and more key metrics. It's essentially a way to check in on your loved one while you're not with your loved one—yet in a non-intrusive manner. And if something goes awry, you can quickly act or mobilize medical services based on the data you are able to monitor.
Caregiving is a tough job. It's why you should pursue anything you can to make it easier. There are plenty of mobile apps to help.
