Five Caregiving apps – some people use them, but what are they?

In June, Parks Associates observed low utilization of caregiver apps.  Their research published at the time showed "27% of current caregivers and 41% of future caregivers are very interested in a connected health app featuring medication lists with reminder functions."  Parsing that a bit, caregivers today are not big users of apps to help them with caregiving, but perhaps today’s millennials (future caregivers) will be more interested.  The graphic associated with the press release reaffirmed any doubts about the viability of the PERS industry -- topping the chart -- panic button, tracking and fall detection. Okay – so if current caregivers were to use apps more productively, what might they use? And will the most likely use end up with families who have engaged home care workers?  These imponderables aside, the information from the five noted here was drawn from the websites or public press material:

• Caregiver Action Network – partnered with CareAngel. “Caregiver Action Network is the nation’s leading family caregiver organization working to improve the quality of life for the more than 90 million Americans who care for loved ones with chronic conditions, disabilities, disease, or the frailties of old age. Care Angel Introduces, a revolutionary way to help take care of our aging loved ones. Meet ANGEL, the award winning, patent-pending Virtual Intelligent Caregiving Assistant. ANGEL promises to give your aging loved ones the VIP Care treatment, keep them healthier, safer and give them more independence while giving your family peace of mind. " Learn more at CaregiverActionNetwork.

• Care|Mind. "Get your loved ones a Fitbit Charge HR, pair it with their computer or smartphone, and put the Fitbit on their wrist. Once you have paired their Fitbit, it will automatically upload their Fitbit data at regular intervals. So the only thing your loved one needs to do is charge their Fitbit once every 5 days. Know when your loved ones take their afternoon walk or hit their daily step goal to keep them motivated. Activity in older adults is critical to their health, and can be especially important post surgery for rehabilitation. Get alerts on your loved one's activity, heart rate, and sleep. Know if they haven't moved around for a long period of time, if they're sleeping in too late, or just that everything is ok." Learn more at Care|Mind.

• GreatCall Caregiver Link. "GreatCall Link, a free app for your smartphone, keeps you informed about the health and safety of family members with GreatCall devices. You can check in with them when you want from anywhere, without disturbing them - helping them maintain the independent life they love. With simple yes and no questions, you can know how your loved one is doing, if they’ve taken their medication for the day, or even if they’ve had enough sleep. You can set up and schedule the questions so they appear on their cell phone daily, weekly, or monthly (Jitterbug Flip only)."  Learn more at GreatCall.

• HomeHero Collaborative. "These "Heroes" will form the foundation of the HomeHero Collaborative, a new care management platform for hospitals and health plans that connects and extends the health system into the home. The platform leverages mobile technology and in-home visits to collect critical patient health data, and then uses an analytics engine to refer patients to the appropriate care provider within the Collaborative, helping predict and prevent hospitalizations. HomeHero is also introducing a HIPAA-compliant mobile app for iOS that helps families find, hire and remotely manage care for their loved ones while giving health systems unparalleled transparency into the home." Learn more at HomeHero.com.

• Hometeam for Caregivers. Hometeam transforms the in-home senior care and aging experience by providing families expert caregiver matching, custom iPads in the home, and a dedicated care team to promote healthy, fun, and active days. These relationships and our tech-enabled service enable Hometeam to execute complex care plans while creating peace of mind for families and ensuring more independent and enjoyable living for seniors.” Learn more at Hometeam.