Keeping track of medications, doctor’s appointments, and caregiving tasks can be overwhelming. Coordinating with helpers and keeping others updated adds even more stress.
Organization apps can help you effectively manage your most precious resource–time. Stay on top of all of your caregiving responsibilities with these super-useful caregiver organization apps.
Carely
Carely is a free social network-type app that’s perfect for those who are trying to tag-team caregiving. Carely allows individuals to communicate easily, coordinate caregiver responsibilities, and even organize and track activities and appointments via a shared calendar. Like a social network, you can also use it to share photos of your loved one.
Use Carely’s messaging feature to reach out to your care network. For instance, you can ask, “Is anyone available to watch Dad on Friday night?”. Keep everyone on the same page with the Visit Report feature, which allows you to check off tasks such as giving medication, household chores, hygiene, and filling prescriptions.
Carefolk
Designed by family caregivers for family caregivers, Carefolk gives you the tools you need to reduce stress and avoid burnout. Sign up for a Carefolk Family account to access the toolkit, which includes a family calendar and organizer, care planning and coordination, and medication and appointment reminders.
In addition to assistance with organization, Carefolk has a chat feature that lets you message other caregivers, privately or in a group. Dubbed the Carefolk Community, this network offers support groups for caregivers, as well as peer-to-peer support, plus helpful tips and information.
Caring
Also created by professional care managers, the Caring app helps you prepare and plan, which gives you a sense of control so you feel less stressed. Keep handy information like emergency contacts and your loved one’s medical history and medication list in your pocket. It also has a shareable scheduling feature, which lets caregivers list what needs to be done, when, and by whom. Reminders can be set up as app notifications or emails. Like the Carely app, Caring also lets you share reports. You can even make notes at the doctor’s office and instantly share them so that everyone has the same real-time information. This app also features a time tracker for those who need to record caregiving activities.
One thing that sets this app apart from the rest is the personal affairs planner, which lets you note where important documents are located as well as track income and expenses. Don’t worry, everything is fully encrypted, so your privacy is secure. You can even document important decisions for your loved one’s care for future reference. Caring also offers guidance and tips for concerned caregivers.
Try before you buy: Use the Caring app for free with limited access, then sign up for a subscription if you like what you see. Others on your care team won’t have to subscribe, you can give them “view only” or “full access” for free.
Carer
This convenient app is designed for patients with chronic illnesses and elderly caregivers. Caregivers can use the Carer app to monitor and manage appointments and meds, plus get tips and support from an online community of healthcare professionals and caregivers. What sets this app apart from the ones we’ve listed already is the hiring feature, which allows you to find qualified local nurses and trained caregivers for medical escort, home care, and nursing procedures.
CareZone
Perhaps the most comprehensive caregiving app out there, CareZone not only allows you to keep track of important documentation, but you can even upload it for easy access on the go. This app lets you easily add your loved one’s medications by simply taking photos of the prescription bottle labels! Additionally, CareZone Pharmacy services offer free pill packaging and arrange for auto-refills, which is a huge time-saver that will take a load off the caregiver’s mind. And yes, it includes medication reminders, too. Another thing that sets CareZone apart is its ability to store/track health information including mood, weight, sleep, pain, and blood pressure and glucose levels.
This app also lets you keep pertinent health information such as allergies, insurance cards, and ID cards, plus files like advanced directives and power of attorney all in one safe and secure place. It also has a place to keep contact information for doctors, family members, insurance providers, and pharmacies.
Like many of the other care apps, CareZone lets caregivers coordinate schedules through a shareable calendar, which is easily synced with other calendars. This user-friendly app also has a “To-Do” section where you can keep a list of tasks and assign tasks to others. The journal feature lets you keep notes on health issues/symptoms, health care instructions, medical appointments, and more. However, there is no search capability within the journal and notes sections. Another thing that makes CareZone unique is the curated news feed which provides relevant information about your loved one’s illness, disability, or condition.
CaringBridge
Sharing is caring! CaringBridge lets you set up your own website to keep people updated on your loved one’s condition in one centralized, secure place. You may have seen families use CaringBridge to keep others abreast of a cancer patient’s condition, for instance. This way, you don’t have to contact everyone individually and can focus on more pressing matters. Since they’ve partnered with GoFundMe, CaringBridge can even be used for fundraising, which is great for those who need help with medical bills or caregiving costs. But Joe Shmo won’t be able to stumble across it online–users must be invited to view the private website in order to access the page. Once there, friends and family can post encouragement and inspiration from afar.
CaringBridge’s planner/calendar feature keeps track of appointments and tasks like the rest of the apps on this list, but it also allows you to request assistance and assign tasks to others, plus you can put the address of the appointment and click “add to calendar” to see it on your device’s default calendar.
MedMinder
For those who strictly need help managing a loved one’s medications, MedMinder is an automated pill dispenser and app that alerts caregivers when a dose is been missed. MedMinder Pharmacy will even load up the scripts in the pill dispenser for you and deliver it! How easy is that?
Lotsa Helping Hands
This collaborative care calendar tool helps coordinate and keep track of appointments and task assignments. The Help Calendar lets people volunteer for scheduled tasks and will even send them a reminder beforehand. The Announcements feature in Lotsa Helping Hands keeps everyone on the same page with news/updates, notes, and photos, while the Well Wishes section provides a place for users to express their love and support.