What are the best apps to help manage caregiving?
Harnessing the technology in your smartphone to make caregiving easier is a great way to take some of the mental load away from the role of the caregiver. With 9 out of 10 Australians now owning a smartphone, it is also an easy way to engage your support community using apps to make coordinated caregiving more streamlined. With over 1.8 million apps available worldwide we’ve recommended our favourite apps to support caregivers.
IANACare
An acronym for “I am not Alone”, IANACare offers an integrated platform for family and caregivers that organises and mobilises support. Next time someone asks you “How can I help?”, just tell them to join your IANACare team. Best of all it allows you to get help without asking – you simply post the task under the category you need help with and your support group will receive a notification they can respond to if able. It also allows you to build personal social circles and access expert content.
Waywiser
Waywiser provides a private space to connect your family, paid caregivers, or close friends to manage the care and safety of a loved one. You can post daily caregiving updates, share calendar events and appointments, and track tasks, medications, or any part of your care routine. The app also allows you to exchange private messages and share photos, videos, or memories.
Medisafe
Never forget a medication again! This free app helps remove the risk of forgetting a medication or more dangerously taking a double dose. You can also measure and record blood glucose, blood pressure, weight, pulse, and temperature and share reporting with other carers. With reminders on when to refill scripts, you can also set the reminders to speak to you with voices from Darth Vader, Dr. Evil from Austin Powers, or your nagging mum to remind you to take your medication.
My NDIS
My NDIS app lets you keep track of your budget and manage your NDIS plan making claiming quick and easy. It also saves payees and favourite claims and is a user-friendly accessible app.
Headspace: Meditate and Relax
Headspace helps guide you to mindfulness in your everyday life. Choose from hundreds of guided meditations for everything from managing stress and everyday anxiety to sleep, focus, and mind-body health. To help you stay resilient during tough times, Headspace includes mediations for coping with sadness, and anger and adapting to change. In just a few minutes, Headspace can help bring balance to your everyday life.
It’s always a good idea to download an app and try it out to make sure it suits your needs and is something you want to integrate into your care plan. The team at Real Community Services has a substantial history of supporting participants to achieve previously unattainable outcomes. Our team would welcome the opportunity to help with carer support – read more stories here of the difference we have been able to make.
