Ways to help your Elders keep track of their health without your assistance this health day

Most elders look forward to a blissful retired life when they can live independently and peacefully after fulfilling their careers and personal responsibilities. Healthy habits for seniors including balanced nutrition, physical activity, socialization and good mental health plays a vital role in achieving this dream. However, the transition to this phase also instils a feeling of apprehension as they fear the loss of freedom and personal space thanks to their frail health and financial concerns.

Fortunately, today’s healthcare innovations facilitate adequate elderly care with technology support at affordable rates and easy-of-use. Assisted Living Facilities, one of the most preferred and growing options for senior care and living, fully supports and encourages this aspect. Athulya Assisted Living, a premium assisted living home in Chennai is no exception to that. Elderly residents here are encouraged and assisted to use these apps for safeguarding their health and safety without external dependencies.

Several such applications may be easily installed on the smart phones and iPads of seniors. The comfort of mobile apps for seniors is remarkable as they are extremely user-friendly, cost-effective and reliable making healthcare very accessible. Thus, geriatric care is available at the fingertips just at a mere ‘click’.  Well, seniors would like to fully utilize this enormous advantage to be fit, secure and independent, won’t they?

Important Android Apps for Seniors

Health and Fitness Technology Apps

• Pill Reminder - Apps like Pill Reminder Pro, MediSafe Meds and Pills Reminder and MedMinder aids seniors to take their medicines on time by sending prompt reminders at the right time through text messages.
• HealthifyMe - This is an all-inclusive one-stop health app that helps elders in devising custom diet plans, counting calorie intake, tracking healthcare parameters and seeking expert medical suggestions round the clock. It even offers exercise recommendations based on individual fitness goals.
• WebMD - Popular for online diagnosis, this mobile app incorporates a host of features like symptom checks, treatment options and medical emergency guidance.
• Blood Pressure Monitor - Seniors suffering from variations in blood pressure especially hypertension can use this app to monitor it regularly. This app also helps to track weight and many other vital health statistics. Notifications and reports may also be shared with the doctor in case of abnormalities.
• Word Brain - Another wonderful app that gives excellent word puzzles to retain the cognitive capabilities of elders is Word Brain.

Emergency Reminder Apps for Adults

• Senior Phone - This app replaces the standard icons on the phone with larger ones for better vision, clarity and sends the exact location in case seniors are lost.
• FADE - By using sensors, this app acts as a fall detector and communicates it to predefined contacts for seeking help.

Tips to help seniors maintain their medications and health

• Make a single consolidated medication checklist of all the medicines to be taken and stick it on the wall in the room where the medicines are kept.
• Write the medical condition being treated on each medicine bottle clearly to avoid confusion.
• Encourage elders to buy all the medications from the same pharmacy as far as possible to avoid drug interactions.
• Get an exclusive pillbox for seniors to manage medications daily. Here, medicines may be segregated into different compartments based on the time of the day it needs to be taken-for example morning, afternoon and night. Alternatively use an alarm system or install a pill reminder app on the phone or a combination of these to ensure that seniors do not miss the dosage.
• Ensure elders have healthy balanced diets that are prepared freshly and hygienically at home and take health supplements regularly.
• Keep the contact information of the pharmacists and consulting physicians handy always along with the medical history and allergies of the patient to handle emergencies.
• Check in the status of senior family members at least once a day by speaking to them on the phone to evade isolation and loneliness. Always be empathetic and patient when they voice their concerns and problems. If you are physically apart, use videoconferencing facilities to keep in touch with elders.
• Send messages through SMS or WhatsApp to gently remind seniors about medications, doctor appointments, vaccinations, regular check-ups and diet restrictions if you are not able to call them.
• Encourage teleconferencing and socialization through virtual connectivity using apps like Zoom and Skype during pandemic like COVID 19 so that seniors do not go into depression.