For seniors, having loved ones to check in with and talk to for mental health can be just as important as maintaining physical health. These days, staying connected to friends and family has become a matter of simply pressing a “follow” or “friend”button on a social media site, but most of these are geared towards the technology-savvy younger generation. Now senior caregivers can help their clients get plugged in and online.
EasyFamilyApps offers simplified access to Facebook, Skype and other social sharing services so that seniors can log on and see what their loved ones are showing them without having to learn the individual applications. The application also allows seniors and caregivers to set medication and appointment reminders to stay on track with their health and doctor's appointments. Creating a video chat on Skype takes only two clicks, and there are far fewer buttons on this app than on the separate Facebook and Flickr apps.
For caregivers, this application offers the chance to connect senior clients with their loved ones on a daily basis. By downloading it and encouraging family of the senior to send updates a few times a week, a senior will be able to feel in the loop of their day-to-day lives. When your senior clients' granddaughter has a soccer game and her mom posts a picture or video of her scoring the winning goal, your senior client will feel included in that moment. Ongoing contact with loved ones makes a huge difference in mental health during the aging process.
The creator of the app is called Family Ribbon and the app itself is called EasyFamily AppSuite. It comes with a step-by-step manual to help introduce seniors to the app and take them through the various features. Currently it is available for Apple, Android and Windows Tablets and is described below:
"Get all generations of your family online with the 7-in-1 AppSuite designed for new users, especially with older users in mind. "
The cost is a one-time fee of $9.99.
For more information, watch this introductory video:
Family Ribbon introductory video from EasyFamilyApps.com on Vimeo.
Senior caregivers, let us know your feedback on this app and keep us posted if you discover additional apps that assist with caregiving duties and help to relieve caregiver stress. You may also refer-a-friend to a senior caregiving job and win prizes weekly and monthly on Caregiverlist.
-Paige Krzysko