Serving as the caregiver for someone with a spinal cord injury (SCI), whether as a family member or a professional, can be challenging. However, innovative mobile technologies and mobile applications serve as a way to make your daily life — and the life of your patient or loved one — easier.
Statista.com estimates that 197 billion apps will be downloaded by the end of the year. When many people think of mobile apps, they automatically think of social media platforms, gaming apps, etc. However, mobile apps have come a long way, and by having a limited perspective that these apps are just intended for fun and games would enable you to miss out on all of the convenient apps that can provide you and the SCI survivor you care for with helpful resources and information at your fingertips.
The advent of smartphones has made it easier than ever for caregivers to manage a number of tasks that are involved with their responsibilities, whether those tasks relate to care and medical concerns, schedules and reminders, accessibility, and even finances. Let’s explore eight of these helpful free mobile apps for caregivers to see what tools can be downloaded to your device.
We posted a similar article back in September of 2016, but wanted to provide you with an up-to-date list!
Mobile Apps
CareZone is an app that goes beyond sharing updates and secure posts. It enables users to create custom profiles, maintain medication logs, set reminders, create task lists and voice messages — which can be shared with dozens of users at once, if necessary. You also can invite loved ones to use the app to be connected to the caregiver.
CaringBridge is a mobile app that helps caregivers build a site for yourself and for the person you care for. Family and friends are able to join as well. It helps to keep your schedule coordinated, allows you to keep everyone in your network updated simultaneously, and allows you and others to post notes of support.
EverNote is a must-download, even for non-caregivers, for its intuitive design and multifunction approach to organization. With this app, users can create documents or recordings, save images or links, and easily document any and all data you need with searchable “notes.”
First Aid by American Red Cross is a mobile app that provides helpful reminders of some of the basics, including first aid and CPR, that would come in handy for family caregivers who may not have a medical background. It provides clear and concise instructions and information on handling the most common situations to help in the event of an emergency.
iRelax is a mobile app that helps caregivers also take care of themselves. We know how stressful it can be taking care of a friend or loved one. This app allows you to listen to soothing sounds like the ocean surf, sounds from a night in the forest, and white noise, and help you to combat caregiver burnout.
Mint is a financial app that compiles all of an individual’s financial accounts into a single one-stop access point. This is important because finances are affected by health care concerns. This one-stop access point allows caregivers to keep track of costs of care and to ensure the financial status of the person they are caring for is regularly monitored to prevent fraud.
WebMD serves as a quick and helpful medical reference tool for simple medical inquiries. It also is useful for getting relevant information about medical advances. However, it is important to note that this app should never be used in lieu of professional medical advice from an accredited physician. Always confirm with your survivor’s doctor to address any questions or concerns.
WheelMate is a resource for people on the go or traveling in the U.S. or abroad. The app allows wheelchair users and their caregivers to add and search for accessible restrooms and parking spaces in more than 45 countries with ease, according to its app store description.
We hope that some of these mobile applications will come in handy as you go about your day. And we invite you to comment below on this post to share some of your favorite or recommended caregiver mobile apps.
