I’m a self-admitted tech nerd. I’ve been an early adopter since the very first PCs were available, and I love buying new stuff—from action cameras to Apple products or oddball geeky items that catch my attention. So naturally, I’ve adopted some tech to help with the dementia caregiving job.
GPS tracking with Life360
When this all started, Heather was still going for walks independently. She recognized the health benefits and went out daily for an hour or more. I encouraged this, but at the same time, I worried she might get lost. Since she still carried a phone at the time, I installed the Life360 app. It’s a free, real-time GPS tracker that completely alleviated my worries about her getting lost. (https://www.life360.com)
AirTags on shoes
As time passed, Heather stopped going for regular walks. Then, out of the blue, she left the house one day. She no longer used or carried a phone, so Life360 was no longer helpful. I followed her and discovered she was actually going for a walk around the block. However, at this stage, there was a high likelihood she wouldn’t figure out how to get home, so this was a red flag. That day, I ordered shoelace AirTag holders and put a tag on each of her pairs of shoes. AirTags aren’t perfect. They’re not accurate real-time trackers like GPS apps, but they’re better than nothing. (https://www.apple.com/ca/airtag)
Door sensors
I bought and installed Wyze door opening sensors on the front and back doors and my garden gate. I get an immediate alert on my smartwatch when any of these doors open. This system has been invaluable! (https://www.wyze.com/products/wyze-sense-entry-sensor-v2)
Cameras
I’ve had Wyze security cameras in my driveway and a video doorbell on the front door for a couple of years. Recently, I added a couple more cameras. I placed one in the upstairs hallway and at night, I have it set up to deliver an alert to my smartwatch when it senses motion. This way, if Heather stumbles out of bed needing to use the toilet, I can quickly ensure she gets there safely. If she decides to pace a bit after using the toilet, as sometimes happens, I can monitor her from my phone and go back to bed if she’s okay. I use the same principle with a camera in the kitchen that captures the living room sofa and the hallway. This allows me to quickly check on her while I’m busy in the yard or upstairs. (https://www.wyze.com/products/wyze-cam)
I also rely on an app called ianacare (I Am Not Alone Care) that is a fantastic way to schedule help requests that can be assigned or picked up by members of your care helping team. My brain is so fried from caregiving that it’s essential to me, to stay on top of things. As mentioned in another post I have three people who help me and they all use different messaging platforms. So I was able to get them each to start using the app of a central communications approach. I can’t recommend this free app enough; it’s amazing! (https://ianacare.com)
All of this tech adds up to become an important part of my strategy to get through this as safely and as stress free as possible.
Not surprised you searched for tech help, but I am surprised there are many ways in which it lessens some of the worries caring for Heather.
Yes indeed Tanya – it all helps!