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What to consider
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What outcome would you like to achieve?
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What's available and possible?
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What could be a barrier to success?
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Who needs to be on board, involved or could help you?
Stress and Burnout
Being able to leave home, take a break or enlist help from others.
A frequent cause of burnout, is due to worry or concerns around leaving someone. This may be for a moment, to run an errand, while you work, or when engaging support to help out such as cleaners, nurses or companions you don't know well. What types of technology? Cameras, video door bells, door sensors and smart locks enable you to see who arrives, or leaves the home - or whether the person you care for, for example with Dementia or Autism, may go wandering or has left home unexpectedly. For you, it reduces the concern that someone has arrived or left unexpectedly, see them, talk or let them in. No need to worry, or drive over, if all is ok. For the person you care for, it's a way to give them independence if they want it, that they can be left alone and supported or backed up if need be. When using these devices, you can set an alert for you or others are certain times, have the doorbell call you, or go back and check eg. the front porch camera if there's no answer.
Examples. You want to run errands to the pharmacy, but worry if the person you are caring for will wander. You're at work and there's no answer. Check if the person you care for has left home. You want to engage a cleaner, nurse or support worker but are worried if they've arrived, left and don't want to leave a key. Get a camera alert, talk to them over the video doorbell, and open the door remotely or give them a specific door code. You want to go out for a coffee break or walk around the block. You want to send groceries or food delivery, a parcel, or a car to pick them up to come over for family dinner, a sports game, library visit or coffee with friends. Answer the gate to ensure it's the right person, check the door is locked behind, and track the ride. You're worried a visitor may ring the door bell and take advantage - and want to know if this happens. You want a neighbour or trusted family member closest to be able to get in if there's an ambulance, fall or need to check in.
Physical Health (Caregiver)
Taking care of your health & wellbeing
As a consequence of being a Carer for someone else, it's common to neglect your own health. This may be due to limited time or motivation to exercise or eat well, the result of lifting, leaning or bending while helping out, poor sleep and stress, or due to a neglected health issue or chronic condition of your own. What types of technology? Wearables like watches and rings, stress relief devices for massage, music and meditation; and health monitoring technology like blood pressure cuffs, sleep monitoring or oximeters, or exercise equipment enable you to see what your measures are, motivate you to improve them, or trigger a checkup to the doctor for yourself. For you, it can help keep up your steps and see positive results when you do, get some exercise in at home, help to relax and wind down, and give you data on how much sleep you're getting or blood pressure, to improve it. For the person you care for, you taking care of your health can be motivating for them too, and help you be stronger and more easily able to care for them. When using these devices, you can set a walking or running target daily and share it with friends, you can track your heart rate, Vo2max, breathing and sleep and get notifications or notice trends to share with your doctor. As importantly, the help to wind down, drift off or make it easier to have music around.
Examples. You want to know you've made your steps target and keep it up the next days as well. You see your heart rate, blood pressure or other health measures getting off track and make a mental note to eat well and get back on track. You assume you're tired because you're busy, not noticing your anxiety levels, poor sleep quality or sleep apnea is the cause. You take a moment to listen to a meditation, or put music on to relax or give you energy. You use a camera or respite to get to the gym or run around the block and have the goals met sent to friends to celebrate (or compete with them). You build exercise into your day with a foot treadmill under the table or desk, or a bile/trike to go out with.
Physical Health (Care Recipient)
Taking care of their health & wellbeing
As a Carer for someone else, you may have to look after someone's physical health. This may be due to a specific health condition they have, a complication, an inability from them to know or communicate what's happening, or having data to know whether to take action like call the doctor or share over telehealth, with more confidence. What types of technology? Health monitoring technologies like wearables (watches and rings), medical devices like heart monitors, sleep monitoring, fingertip oximeters, spirometers, blood glucose levels or thermometers enable you to get data readings or graphs are, show the opportunity to improve them, or allow you to set an alert if certain events occur, like heart irregularities, seizures or sleep apnea. Apps can also assist for recording symptoms or guiding health behaviour such as meditation or nutrician. For you, it can help you understand why the person you care for is fatigued, aggressive or agitated, or identify the impact of a new medication (positive or negative). Being able to have data and record trends of health measures, give you confidence to seek medical advice and provide more information. Sometimes it's difficult not knowing whether to get help or how to quantify what's happening.
Examples. You want to check relevant biometric measures like heart rate or blood pressure regularly, to know what direction health is going in and get help. You want to take a telehealth appointment, and show with data what's happening with the patient when they don't have a voice, or a clear picture, themselves. You set an alert to know if the person you care for a seizure during the night, so there's you can worry less while you're sleep that something has occurred. You want to help the person you care for be more motivated to make healthy choices relating to weight, sleep, blood pressure by seeing their trends and positive improvements.
Easier & Empowered
Routines & Easier at Home
As a Carer for someone else, it's almost always a consideration that home is safe, cosy and well lit, easy to manage devices or routines like medication, and that it's possible for someone outside the home to know if help is needed. This may be due to cognitive capability such as focus, memory or dementia, physical challenges such as visual or mobility impairment, or simply supporting someone who lives alone, is aging, lonely or with a chronic condition. What types of technology? Smart home technologies such as sensors for detecting air quality, smoke, movement or lack of movement, lights that come on by timer, movement or voice activation, smart locks, doorbells and cameras to answer, open or secure a door or see who's there, medication dispensers and apps to remind you, smart plugs to control or automated appliances, or voice assistants to get news, information, music or video call friends and family. For you, it can help make life easier and more cosy, with less to do. It can help reduce worry because you know you or family will be notified if you're concerned or there's no answer, and more importantly know not to worry constantly or drive over, if there's nothing wrong. For the person you care for, it can help them be informed with news and information, empowered to take medication and do what keeps them well, and have peace of mind that there are options if they need it, but in the meantime enable them to maintain independence as much as possible and keep active and mobile in doing so.
Examples. You don't have to worry at night knowing the lights have come on, visitors are detected, the house is warm and there are no smoke alarms or leaks. When you want to know someone has moved, got up in the morning or got to bed ok. If you pop out, or have help visit, see that there's the right types of leaving or arriving as expected and take action if needed via notifications at the door or gate, including sharing the actions with family, talking with visitors or deliveries remotely, or being able to let someone like a neighbour in remotely or with a code if there's been a fall. Setting reminders to take medication, drink water or remember a special occasion to help be empowered and do what keeps you well, including knowing if it wasn't taken and giving a call. Printing a page next to the voice assistant of things they can do or ask "say Alexa, call Jane", "help me", "what's the news", "turn on the front lights" or "add bananas to the shopping list" or "tell me about Parkinson's". For those who wander or forget, set an alert or tag items that may become lost or leave an area you designate. "For a week after my mum with dementia came to stay with us, I never left home without her. Then I placed a camera on the front door and went to the store. I realised I didn't need to stop her leaving - I'd get an alert and see she was just checking the mailbox 12 times a day, and going back inside."
Loneliness & Isolation
Connecting to others & new conversations
On average, one in 4 people, live alone, but notably many of us feel isolated and alone when faced with a health challenge ourselves, or caring for someone else. Isolation can occur due to being unwell, unable to drive or go out, or being remote from friends and family. Loneliness, that can occur in a busy home or room to anyone at anytime or stage. Loneliness is a feeling that you don't have the quality of relationships or connections that you want. As a Carer, you may feel people don't understand the load you carry, you don't want to complain, you don't have the freedom you'd like, or simply that you don't have anything new or positive to make conversation about since the worry for someone you love arrived, your world got smaller or the fatigue settled in, If it's a partner or child you're caring for, you'll be concerned for them, or missing the relationship you used to have. Types of technology that can help, includes phones and video calling to make it easier to call, hear, see, dial or for family to drop in virtually; voice assistants that read audiobooks, play music or give information such as news or pursuing an interest or entertainment; information or resources that give access to communities and support groups you can join nearby;
Examples Video call family while you're getting dinner, or schedule a regular call in your calendar to connect with generations and friends. Lying in bed, ask the voice assistant to "Call Greg" and chat or check-in before you fall asleep. Call a taxi or uber and head out to the library, to watch a grandchild play sport or for a weekly dinner. Join a community network for support or a hobby or book club, in person or online. Group video calls can allow you to meet others and transition to meeting in person for those local. Take a course, read an audio book or listen to a regular podcast to give your mind a break and give yourself another subject to talk over with others. Get a phone with large buttons, photo dial or hearing assistance to more easily hear, call or dial and connect with friends and family. Get set up for contract work, freelancing or full or part time remote work from home. Purchase a walking frame, wheelchair or trike to exercise or go out locally within the community. Talk to a counsellor over a video consultation. Use an app to print favourite photos to a service like mixtiles, of your favourite people and moments to be reminded how much you love and are loved. Mixtiles can be adhered to the wall via a reusable strip, so as you move places or if someone is in care or bed, you can move them in seconds.
Specific Needs
Help with specific health conditions & needs
Where there are condition specific needs, you can take a look at the product ideas and collections dedicated. These help you to empower and take care of those closest, for example with Autism or Asthma, Sleep or Seizures, Diabetes or Dementia, Heart or Brain injury. Technology like assistive technology, augmented communication, unfreezing of the gate, eye control or wearables for specific conditions.
Talk with the person you care for, your family and your doctor and consider your priority needs and the outcomes you want.
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