More than 1 in 5 Americans over the age of 18 are caregivers for another adult or a child with special needs. The most recent numbers from the AARP show more than 50 million adults in the U.S. have taken on that role. Those receiving the care could be elderly, but could also be someone receiving treatment or recovering from a procedure.
The AARP reports that caregivers who feel alone often admit it can be financially straining, impact their job and cause emotional stress. One solution is building a community of care, instead of a sole caregiver doing it alone. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends caregivers ask for help from family members, friends and neighbors. But if the coordination seems daunting, apps can help.
The ianacare app
The ianacare app was developed to address the issue of caregivers feeling like they’re doing it all by themselves. In fact, IANA is an acronym for I Am Not Alone and ianacare is available for free for iOS and Android. The app encourages caregivers to build a team around them and organize and mobilize that support for everyday tasks.
How does ianacare work?
Organizers or the person receiving care can throw needs on to the app and people on their team can offer to help out. The care recipient may need someone to run errands, visit or provide rides. The calendar offers an easy way to see what needs exist and whether someone has met them. A black dot appears on the day a need is available and it turns red once someone says they can help.
Everyone on the team stays updated on the care recipient in a private feed where anyone can post photos from a visit or a note about upcoming treatments or doctor’s visits. This is also the place where loved ones can offer words of encouragement and love to uplift the care recipient. Team members can also give support even if there aren’t any open needs. They can send money or gift cards through the app to the person receiving care or to anyone else on the team.
People can also offer help in the form of a meal, child care or a visit to the care recipient or one of the organizers. The meal section has a place for the care recipient to explain any dietary restrictions and a slot for those bringing meals to note what cuisine will be on the menu. That way, all those offering to bring food can see what others have brought so the person or family doesn’t get pizza for five days straight.
What is the Caring Village app?
Caring Village says its website and companion app (free for iOS and Android) is like a command center for caregiving. Users can create to-do lists, calendars and a wellness journal for the care recipient and share all of it with their village. Then as people offer to help, the app makes it easy to coordinate things like transportation and meals.
Caring Village also allows caregivers to keep medication lists and store important documents for easy access. Similar to ianacare, each team member is assigned a role which determines what they can see and do on the app. Some are provided all access, while others receive and are able to see less information. Only those assigned to the inner circle, for instance, are able to see or modify documents.
Caring Village also offers preparedness checklists to get caregivers ready for what may be next in the journey they’re taking with their loved one. The checklists suggest what information and paperwork they may need in the future as well as safety measures which caregivers may need to implement in the home.
These apps provide a ready answer for caregivers the next time someone says, “Let me know how I can help.” They can tell that person to join their community of care on the app. The person offering help can easily get updates and offer support while the care recipient and caregiver get the support they need from their personalized village.