Two sisters, both with Master’s degrees in Business Administration and one suffering from brain cancer created a revolutionary way to understand caregiving. Renee Fry-Hawker, the survivor of the brain cancer treatment, and her sister Julie Fry are developing an app to help caregivers in their search for care advice and ways to locate services within their area. The app compiles various types of information regarding caretaking issues and allows relatives to share and look at this information together. They can also have a family meeting through the application in order to discuss issues that arise.

The application allows families to create a “care team”  which allows family members to communicate through the app and share all of the information about their loved one’s medical and care condition. You can use the app to look at articles or “how to” lists regarding care questions you might have. You can manage a calendar with all your loved ones appointments, send messages to the care team members and communicate with caregivers through the app. You can also store various types of notes in the application regarding emergency plans, or care plans for your loved one.

The idea for this app comes from their experience with caregiving because of Fry-Hawker’s battle with brain cancer. They wanted to combine all the resources they used as well as give families a central way to communicate when they are dispersed throughout the country. The app is free; however, the company makes money through selling targeted advertisements and related products through its website.

So, how would this be helpful for those who have a family member in a nursing home? Actually, there are several ways. First is communication with family members. While distance can make the heart grow fonder, it can also make helping siblings care for a parent in a nursing home more challenging. This application helps resolve this problem and allows families to provide a united front in the care of the loved one which is helpful to all involved. Second is information. When questions arise on care issues, this app gives you targeted advice on how to address those issues.

This app might make elder care a little easier on families, but it still does not prevent neglect or abuse from occurring within nursing home facilities. While it is important for families to be on top of their loved one’s health care, it is the job of the nursing home to provide a safe environment for vulnerable senior citizens. If your loved one has been suffered abuse or neglect in a Maryland nursing home call us at 410-825-ABUSE (2287) or visit our website at www.NursingHomeJustice.com or for more information.