Nowadays, the world is becoming more and more digital. While it can sometimes be hard to stay up to date with the latest tools, there are plenty of good things that can come out of technology. For example, there are many apps and online tools that caregivers can use to monitor their aging loved one’s health. Apps like these can help caregivers who might not always know what to do, as well as those who are physically distant.

For adult children, living far away from their aging parents can become an added stressor. There are times when it doesn’t make sense to move closer to an older loved one, and they in turn cannot relocate to be near a child. However, adult children still want to know what’s happening with their parents' health. With the help of these apps and tools, loved ones can easily check in on their seniors living alone or in assisted living — and this applies even more in the time of COVID-19 for those who might live close but can’t visit because of the pandemic.

At our Louisville senior living and retirement community, we understand the peace of mind these tools can bring. Here’s our list of great tech tools and apps caregivers can use to monitor their senior loved one’s health.

4 Best Apps for Senior Caregivers

1. CareZone

With CareZone, you can help easily manage your loved one’s health. One of the primary features is a shared calendar so everyone who has access to the app is up-to-date on appointments. Caregivers can also upload a prescription list and use the app to set reminders to give their loved one their medication or call to check in to make sure they’ve taken it.

You can also use a section of CareZone as a health journal to be able to track items like weight, blood sugar, pain levels, mood, and more. This information can become important when your loved one visits their physician, as trends in these measures can alert them to potential issues.

2. Symple

If you’re looking for only a symptom tracker, Symple is the way to go. It’s more than a basic symptom tracker, though, as it pulls in data from Apple Health. You can create a personalized list of items you’d like to track, and you can use photos to remind you of what you’ve done. This feature can be a great help for anyone who sometimes forgets when exactly they took a particular medication. Simply snap a photo before you take it, and Symple will mark it with the time. You can also do this with meals or anything else you need to track that you can photograph.

3. CaringBridge

For those who live apart from their aging loved ones, CaringBridge provides a way to feel connected and supportive. Create a personal website for your loved one, and share the access with any family members who want to be connected. CaringBridge is the space to share health updates, photos, and videos with loved ones. You can also use it to track appointments and other critical information for all caregivers. Teams of caregivers can use it to coordinate who’s helping when, between-meal delivery, home health or therapy visits, transportation and even visits. Finally, caregivers can send uplifting messages to their senior loved ones through the platform. 

4. Calm

Now, we’re recommending Calm for a slightly different reason than the others. Calm won’t help you manage your senior loved one’s appointments or track their symptoms, but it will help you to be more present with them. Calm is a meditation app that you can use by yourself or with the aging loved one in your life to take a few moments for yourself. Taking time for your own self-care is one of the most important tips for caregivers we could share. Without prioritizing your own health and well-being (both physical and mental), you won’t be able to care for your senior’s health, either.

There are plenty of other apps and resources out there that can help you with caregiving for a parent, but these are four of our retirement community’s favorites. Using technology to make caregiving for a senior a little easier is a great way to remove some of the work from your shoulders. Take care of yourself and enjoy connecting with your aging loved ones.