Technology is defined as the usage of tools, techniques, or methods of organization to solve a problem. Today there are many tools, techniques, and methods of organization that can help address the unique challenges facing long-distance caregivers -- and over the next few weeks, I'll be featuring some of my favorites.
Of course, deciding which specific tools and techniques will work best for your family will depend on your loved one’s level of impairment, as well as his/her tech-savvyness and the savvyness of those in his/her circle of care (yourself, siblings, children, care providers etc.).
Video Chat
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth at least a million. Although not intentionally created for caregivers, online video chatting services such as Skype and Google Chat are great tools for long-distance caregivers. Not only is video an emotionally rich form of communication, it also allows you to see how your loved one is doing (e.g. is her hair brushed, has she changed clothes). It also enables you to observe and monitor physical symptoms or changes in behavior that you may not notice over the phone. For more information, here's my previous about Skype and a quick introductory video from Google about Google Chat.
Care Team Coordination
A shared calendar is a great way to keep members of the care team on the same page about various appointments and other important dates and events. If you just need a simple calendar, Google provides a free web-based calendar,, which you can learn more about by watching this quick video.
Although not originally intended as a caregiving tool, Facebook’s social networking tools can be harnessed to help your loved one stay connected and/or help your care team stay in sync. For example, you could create a page for your loved one that the primary (and local) caregiver could help maintain. All the members of your family and care team could “friend” this page. The “wall” on this page would become a place where you could all exchange information, provide updates, share photos, etc. You could even imagine a tech-savvy local caregiver using the Facebook Places feature to “check in” at the various places she and your loved one go throughout the day (e.g. doctor appointments, grocery store, senior center, etc). For more information, here’s my previous post about Facebook and here's information about how to create private Facebook groups.
If you’re looking for a more extensive care coordination solution, the National Family Caregivers Association has partnered with Lotsa Helping Hands to provide a free web-based caregiving coordination service. The free service allows family, friends, neighbors, and care providers to create a community to assist with the caregiving daily tasks. Each community includes a group calendar; a platform for securely sharing vital medical, financial, and legal information with designated family members; and customizable sections for posting messages and photos. Click here to learn more about the service and to get started..
In my next post, I'll discuss technologies to help with appointment reminders, medication adherence, and remote monitoring. In the meantime, please share your favorite tech tips and tricks for long-distance caregiving in the comments section below.
There's a new service from MyVISITA.com that provides remote monitoring for seniors. They call you daily and talk for ~20 minutes. You can use SKYPE to videoonference. And they speak english and spanish. www.MyVISITA.com They're offering two weeks free if you live in Florida!
There's a new service available for english AND spanish-speaking seniors. They contact you daily and talk for ~20 minutes by SKYPE. They can also talk by phone, but obviously videoconference by SKYPE is better and more friendly. Check out myvisita.com. They're offering two weeks free if you live in the Tampa area!
My family struggled with long distance caregiving and my parents were totally intimidated by the thought of using a computer. Then we bought them the Telikin computer. It was designed with seniors in mind and has all of these features and more. Telikin touch screen computer has video chat, easy photosharing with the facebook application, interactive calendar, email and simple web browsing with quick links and so much more!!! My parents live 1000 miles away and they enjoy using this computer! It has made a great difference in our lives. They video chat with us and the grandkids every week! They use email and have started online shopping. This is helping bridge the 1000 mile gap!
I'm generally interested in technology that helps people but even more, in how to stay in touch with my loved ones while 'long-distance.' ...though I hope to remedy that soon.
What a great idea for what I hope will be a long series of articles on this topic! I also hope that some of the more creative senior centers and nursing homes read this also, and consider making things like Skype available to their residents who may not have the resources or technical familiarity to set these up themselves. It could make an incredible difference when situations separate people from those they love. Currently my Mom, 85 years old and starving for conversation about the news of the day, is stuck in a nursing home for a few months getting PT after a recent hip injury. How I wish I could 'skype' with her between our regular phone calls, but I'd need someone to help her set up things at her end. She's a very smart woman but never was interested in gadgets. We are using one small-tech item that has proved to be a God send. Before her injury, I set Mom up with a Jitterbug cell phone. This is not an ad for Jitterbug, but one big reason I went with that vs. a pay-as-you-go phone was because it's relatively easy to use and worse case, Mom can just hit zero and talk to one of their customer care people--who really do seem to care. Also, I'm able to input her phone numbers from my computer. And right now what I'm appreciating is the ability to change the plan instantly. For now, I've got her on an unlimited plan though normally we had the most basic plan. But for now, it's her life line--though I haven't talked Mom into using the Voicemail yet ;']. Anyway--please, keep these coming ! Cassie