Organizing life can be difficult, particularly when you are coordinating your care or that of a loved one. Doctors’ appointments, medication schedules, and other activities can seem overwhelming. But, your smartphone or tablet can prove to be a big help in these and other areas. If you’re a child caregiver, consider adding an extra smart phone or tablet to your plan for your parent, or re-purposing your old smartphone or tablet when it’s time for you to upgrade.
Although there is no single app that can ever take the place of medical advice and diagnosis from a physician, these apps can come in handy for day-to-day health questions and concerns, exercising your brain, tracking your food intake and retrieving important information:
- The WedMD app allows you to access first aid treatment suggestions and research common illnesses.
- Pain Care records pain levels, duration, characteristics, mood and triggers in order to automatically share this information with physicians who can prescribe or adapt medications.
- MedWatcher pushes safety alerts for medical devices and for drugs to your tablet or smart phone. It also allows the user to report adverse events (and side effects) directly to the FDA. This feature has the potential to make devices/drugs safer for everyone involved.
- Instant Heart Rate uses the camera on your smartphone to detect the pulse from your fingertip.
- Magnifying Glass with Light – Allows anyone with poor vision to read or locate things a bit easier
- GoMeals gives you tools and information to help you succeed at healthy eating. It features three applications in one–A nutritional database, powered by CalorieKing, combined with a restaurant locator and a food tracking tool.
- CogniFit is the ultimate brain training app. Play different brain games to challenge your mind and train your cognitive skills.
- Pillboxie is the easy way to schedule reminders for yourself and remember your meds.
- Words with Friends is a multi-player word game where players can take turns building words crossword puzzle style with an opponent in a manner similar to the classic board game.
- Find My Phone will help you locate your missing device on a map, play a sound, display a message, remotely lock your device, or erase all the data on it.
- iBooks includes the iBookstore, where you can download the latest bestselling books or your favorite classics – day or night.
- iCam allows you to remotely monitor multiple live video and audio webcam feeds from your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad over WiFi, 3G and EDGE. A great use for this app is for a child caregiver to remotely monitor aging parents to make sure that they are ok when left alone..
- Elder 911 has useful info for caregivers and others.
- Phonotto – simplifies all phone functions for seniors
- Springpad gathers all those things you want to remember in an accessible place and then provides more information about them, all within the palm of your hand. It’s like having a reliable and efficient personal assistant with you always.
- Remember the Milk app will not only remind you to pick up milk, but will also direct you to the nearest supermarket.
We here at the Fairfax and Fredericksburg Elder Law Firms of Evan H. Farr, P.C. are pleased to see all of the advances in technology and apps available to help improve seniors quality of life, health, and well-being. Now that you know about these apps and you’ve planned for everything from what to pick up at the grocery store to setting up reminders to take your meds, it is time to plan for your future and for your loved ones. Evan H. Farr is a Certified Elder Law Attorney with a focus on helping protect seniors and their families by preserving dignity, quality of life, and financial security. Call us at 703-691-1888 to make an appointment for a complimentary consultation.
About Evan H Farr, CELA, CAP
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