As people age, there are more health-related details to keep track of during the course of a normal day. To that extent, keeping track of habits, symptoms, and experiences between doctors’ visits can feel overwhelming. Many people, regardless of age, have a hard time remembering how they felt a few days ago let alone a few weeks ago. But changes in behavior and health can provide important information to care teams and ensure a well-rounded approach to overall health and treatment.

While it may seem overwhelming, there have been incredible advancements in technology that make keeping track of your health both easy and accessible. Join the AmeriCare team as we review new tech to help our seniors keep track of the details and keep their care team informed.

Medication Management Apps & Tools

Senior woman smiling while using a smartphone, involved in elderly home care.

Taking the correct medications on time and in the right way is crucial to staying healthy, but when you are managing multiple medications, it can be hard to keep track of what to take when, and whether they should or shouldn’t be taken with food or other medications. For seniors especially, who may be facing cognitive decline, this can become confusing and mistakes can happen. Luckily, there are a number of smartphone apps and tools that can help!

If the senior in your life uses a smartphone, discuss setting up the Medisafe Medication Reminder (iPhone or Android) for their daily use. This is an easy-to-use app that helps track prescriptions, send reminders about refills, and sets alarms with instructions for when to take medication. Your loved one will hear an alert and a notification will show up on their home screen with updates or instructions. (Healthline)

Or, if you’re looking for something that isn’t phone dependent, look for automated pill dispenser systems like the MedMinder. This modern variation of a pill case holds four daily doses of medication with different alarms that beep and vibrate when it’s time to take a prescription. (Healthline) It even offers phone call options that include life lines and emergency contact features.

Pain and Symptom Trackers

For many seniors, chronic pain or changes in health can drastically reduce their quality of life. Without a detailed description of their experiences and how they shift over time, it may be difficult for doctors to create an effective treatment plan. There are, however, many digital health tracking devices and apps available that can be used to track health indicators, pain, and other symptoms to make reporting easier and more effective.

There are many wearable medical alert services for seniors looking to limit their recording requirements. MobileHelp and Medical Guardian have both introduced new wrist-worn combination medical alert and smartwatch devices in recent years. This kind of medical device technology can even collect biometric data such as heart rate, brainwaves, and muscle bio-signals to provide valuable information to address chronic and other health-related conditions. (Techforaging)

For those using smartphones, there are several pain and health tracking apps available that set reminders to track daily changes. Apps like GeoPain (iPhone or Android)  help users map out where they are feeling pain on an image of a human body and track associated symptoms over long periods of time. My Pain Diary & Symptom Tracker (iPhone) is an app made by and for patients to track the location and intensity of pain, update medication logs, and note external factors which graph trends over time.

Elderly person at senior home care holding a smartphone with both hands.

Getting Help with the Right Tech

If you are unsure of which applications may be best for the senior in your life, or you would like help implementing these trackers or technology with a loved one, reach out to AmeriCare. We can connect you with qualified, experienced in-home care professionals who will take the time to help develop a plan of action for your loved one to incorporate this new technology into their day and even help record the information. Our vetted referrals are well-versed in medication management, are experienced in following detailed care plans, and offer dignified assistance for daily tasks and routine hygiene practices. Help the aging loved one in your life stay independent, and in their home longer, with help from AmeriCare.