Alzheimer's Care&Technology - a podcast by Allan Fair

In Episode 14 of Alz In The Fam, Poli, Allan and Trissi discuss technological resources that have impacted their caregiving. As their mom’s Alzheimer’s progresses, they have found quite a few technologies that really benefit their caregiving.

One of the first technologies that the family adapted was a DayClox DigitalClock. This clock has the day and date on the face of it, and really helps orient their mom each day. To troubleshoot another large problem, the family also tried a Med-E-Lert Locking Automatic Pill Dispenser that helped them monitor their mom’s pill intake.

Out of all of the technology that the Fair family has adapted to best care for their mom, one of the most useful is the Apple Watch 6 that their mom wears. The Apple Watch has many health and safety features that helps the family monitor their mom, even from afar.

There have been some downsides to this tech, however. For example, there is a button on the watch that automatically dials 911, and their mom, Carmen, has pressed that twice. Also, Carmen does not always remember to charge the watch, so the family cannot always rely on this device.  

Along with that, their mom has an iPhone XR to pair with the Apple Watch. This phone’s picture sharing capabilities are also a big draw, as it allows their mom, Carmen, to scroll through pictures and find joy through that. Carmen also uses an iPad, where the family has found great brain games to both entertain her and engage her mind. Her favorite app is the jigsaw puzzle app.

Medically, three tech resources have made huge improvements in their Alzheimer’s care – the new Patient Portals online for doctors office, the Scanner Pro app for the iPhone and at home urine test strips to check for UTIs. The online portals for doctors’ offices have made communication between the family and doctors more convenient, which is a great help.

When Carmen was still living alone, the family adopted some home tech advancements, such as a programmable thermostat, a home security system and the Logi Circle Wifi Home Security Camera. This security camera helped the family monitor their mom’s movements even when they couldn’t be there in person. While this was a huge positive, it was also hard for the Fair siblings to watch their mom live on her own and see how she behaved by herself.

The future of Alzheimer’s technology also looks bright. With young inventors creating new products like socks with sensors in them or apps specifically for Alzheimer’s patients, it is comforting to see tech in this space constantly improving. 

If you’re a caregiver, check out the links to these products above and let us know what other tech you use to help your care!

 

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Further episodes of Alz In The Fam

Further podcasts by Allan Fair

Website of Allan Fair