Simple Smartphone Apps to Make Life Easier for The Elderly

Smartphone apps are not just useful for making free calls, sending fun texts, or playing a rousing Candy Crush game on a touchscreen. There are numerous mobile apps available to enhance the smartphone’s capabilities and make life easier. For many, their phones not only function as calendars or high-tech telegraphs, but they also tell them the best gas prices, provide bank account updates, and remind them on what’s next on their to-do list.

Senior citizens can also benefit from the use of specific apps to enhance their lives. While mobile apps help the elderly keep up with technology, a home care expert can help them maintain a high quality of life. At Home Instead Mississauga, we provide in-home senior care that allows you or your elderly family member to remain engaged with the world from the comfort of their home.

6 Mobile Phone Apps for Your Elderly Loved One

Check out these mobile apps that your senior may enjoy and benefit from:

1. BIG Launcher: This app makes your mom’s smartphone easier to read. It is primarily designed to help visually impaired and technically challenged users with an easy-to-read interface.
2. Lumosity: Instead of sling-shooting birds across the screen, your dad can enjoy games that train his brain. Lumosity uses cognitive activities such as memory games and puzzles. By challenging the mind, it may be possible to slow cognitive decline and reduce the risk of dementia.
3. Magnifying Glass with Light: Does Mom or Dad need a little help reading a restaurant menu? This app can not only light up the words but also magnify them. Just imagine using a smartphone to read pill bottle labels better!
4. Life360: Have an active parent that you want to keep tabs on? The Life360 app keeps all members of the family connected. It provides a GPS program to track down parents, kids, and grandkids alike. Also, your senior can send you a message, ask for help, and even alert you of an emergency.
5. Senior Savings: Those elderly living on a strict, fixed income can benefit from the Senior Savings app. This app shows your parent where they can find local discounts to help them save money.
6. Pillboxie: Most seniors take several different pills, and it is imperative that their medications are taken on time. The Pillboxie app helps your mom or dad visually manage their medications. It reminds them when to take their pills, and even works when the phone is inactive

4 Apps to Help Seniors Monitor Their Hearts

Everyday apps can help make life easier and more fun. Some apps encourage aging adults to keep track of their health, particularly their heart health. Here are four:

1. Heart Pal: This app focuses on helping users chart and analyze blood pressure. It also has a pill tracking feature, so Mom and Dad can keep track of their medications and set reminders to take them.
2. Cardiio: Dad can use this app to check his heart rate and monitor the overall level of his cardiovascular health and fitness levels. It uses the smartphone’s camera to take measurements. It will even recommend workouts to help him stay in shape.
3. Point of Care: Mom can use this app with her phone’s existing health app to track her heart rate, weight, fitness levels, and in-depth feelings. It can be shared with her doctor to give them a better understanding of her overall health.
4. Withings Health Companion: Users of this app can track blood pressure, weight, fitness levels, and sleep patterns. You can also use their blood pressure cuff for more accurate at-home measurements.

Add the Human Touch with Experienced Home Care Professionals

Encourage your senior to learn and take advantage of 21st-century technology with the help of smartphone apps that enhance their lives. If your aged parent needs additional support that cannot come from a mobile device, an elder care professional can help. At Home Instead, we help seniors and their families with a variety of in-home care options and support. Our professional caregivers are highly trained and ready to help you or your elderly loved one enjoy this season of life.

For Caregivers of seniors suffering of Alzheimer’s and other dementias, Home Instead developed an application that provides tips from experts, responses to faqs, and the ability to ask questions and share advice. The Daily Companion application is available for both iphone and android and can be download from the Help for Alzheimer’s Families website.

Additional Important Resources

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Reviews: Read home care reviews from families in Mississauga.

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Service Area: The office of Home Instead in Mississauga services the following areas: All Mississauga including: Clarkson, Cooksville, Dixie, Erin Mills, Erindale, Lakeview, Lorne Park, Port Credit, Sheridan, Streetsville