Top 9 Apps To Help You Manage Caregiver Responsibilities

As a family caregiver, managing several caregiving responsibilities on your own can be stressful. Many caregivers express that one of the most challenging parts of caregiving is staying organized and keeping friends and family members up to date with changes in their loved ones' lives. 

Luckily, there are tools available to help decrease the stress caregivers feel every day. 

Which Apps Support Family Caregivers?

Let’s explore some of our favorite apps we recommend for family caregivers.

These are all mobile apps that can be found through app stores such as iTunes or the Google Play store on your iPhone or Android device.

1. Care Coordination Apps

The following care coordination apps below focus on managing caregiving tasks in one space, while also maintaining communication with other care team members and loved ones. 

Avanlee

Avanlee is a comprehensive application for family caregivers to stay organized while caring for a loved one. Avanlee features an easy-to-use platform that allows caregivers to stay in contact with other care team members, monitor their loved ones through health monitoring devices, and even order groceries. 

Avanlee offers a free app, as well as memberships with monthly fees. 

Caring Village

Caring Village allows caregivers to stay in touch, as well as store important documents such as advanced directives and other medical information all in one place. It also has an extensive resource library for caregivers of older adults.

Caregivers can:

• Share calendars to keep track of doctor’s appointments and arrange transportation

• Store documents

• Create to-do lists

• Develop emergency checklists

• Create a tailored care plan

Caring Village is a free app for customers.

eCare21

eCare21 is an app designed to connect family caregivers to healthcare professionals and professional caregivers. The goal is to increase observation of the patient and monitor their health needs.

The app connects with smart devices (such as Apple watches) to allow providers to offer 24/7 Remote Patient Monitoring allowing providers to see vital signs in real time. These increases care coordination to improve care. 

eCare21 is free for caregivers. 

2. Health Care Apps

Many family caregivers are navigating their loved one’s healthcare needs for the first time. The apps below focus on helping caregivers manage their loved one’s health needs and learning more about what they are seeing on a day-to-day basis.

American Red Cross: First Aid

As caregivers, there may be times when first aid is needed to support your loved one. The American Red Cross offers a First Aid app to provide individuals with solutions to common first aid scenarios. 

In addition to first aid, this free app offers caregiver resources on severe weather preparedness.

Dementia Caregiver Solutions

The Dementia Caregiver Solutions app focuses on providing strategies to caregivers who care for loved ones with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. They focus on strategies for:

• Managing activities of daily living

• Communication

• Challenging behaviors

These caregiver resources can arm caregivers with the tools and strategies they need to have a smoother day.

Medisafe 

Medication management can be difficult! Medisafe helps caregivers and seniors remember to take medications and keep track of medications and receive medication reminders. It decreases the chances of missing doses or overdosing.

The app not only gives notifications for dose reminders but also refill reminders and appointment reminders. Users can learn about their medications and understand side effects and interactions.

Medisafe also allows users to store health records securely on the app. It also allows medication lists to be easily shared with healthcare providers. 

The basic Medisafe app is free, but the app does have features that have monthly fees. 

3. Caregiver Stress Management Apps

All of these apps are designed to reduce the stress of caregivers, however, the apps below focus on reducing stress and self-care. 

Calm 

Calm is an app designed for anyone looking to practice mindfulness and meditation - whether you’re a beginner or an expert. It has a variety of calming background noises and meditation. 

Like many of the other apps, Calm is free with some in-app purchases. 

Caring Light for Caregivers

Caring Light is specially designed for caregivers of people living with dementia to improve caregiver wellness.

It offers information on coping with the challenges of dementia through mindfulness. It is a self-paced program teaching users about dementia, caregiving, and responding to stressful moments as well as practical caregiving tips. 

Again, the basic version of this app is free but premium features have a cost.

LotsaHelping Hands

Lotsahelping Hands can also be used as a care coordination app, but it focuses on cultivating support for the caregiver. It allows caregivers to organize help from family, friends, and home care providers while also sending updates to everyone all at once.

LotsaHelping Hands creates an online community to increase support for the primary caregiver.

Whether you’re looking to simplify the management of your loved one’s care or carve out a few moments of each day for yourself, there are many apps available to streamline the daily pressures of caregiving. Try out one of these apps together to find the app that works best for you and your loved one.