November is National Family Caregivers Month. For the 45 million family members who care for an aging loved one, it’s nice to be recognized and appreciated. But, that doesn’t make their job any easier.
Denver, CO (PRWEB) November 25, 2013
November is National Family Caregivers Month. For the 45 million family members who care for an aging loved one, it’s nice to be recognized and appreciated. But, that doesn’t make their job any easier.
Families find themselves in unexpected, unplanned role as a caretaker
“Families learning to care for their aging loved ones have it tough,” said Josh Fotheringham, former Apple software designer and current CEO of Caring in Place®. “The majority of family members suddenly become family caregivers overnight because of an unexpected trigger event – a fall, a car accident, an emergency room visit, or simply a physician that says it’s time to get involved. Most families aren’t prepared for what comes next.”
Fotheringham and his fellow co-founder James Jarman were first exposed to the difficulty of family caregiving two years ago while doing research for another healthcare technology project. After literally thousands of hours of research and time spent with caregivers, the co-founders created Caring in Place®. Their free technology solution is designed to help family members learn how to become family caregivers for their aging loved ones.
Active family caregiving reaps measurable benefits for aging loved ones
The impact family members can have on the health of their aging loved ones is not trivial. According to a recent AARP study, there is a direct correlation between the improved health outcomes of seniors and the amount of time family caregivers spend supporting them. Dr. Kevin Knopf, a practicing Hematologist and Oncologist in San Francisco, CA and Clinical Board Chair at Caring in Place® confirmed, “An active family caregiver has the potential to measurably improve the health conditions of their aging family members. A little bit of practical knowledge coupled with simple, clinical guidance can go a long way towards improved health outcomes.”
Expert resources for caregivers to know what to do and when
“Family caregivers are often plagued by the doubt and uncertainty of not knowing what to do,” explains Denise M. Brown, Founder of CareGiving.com – an online support haven for family caregivers. “Caring in Place® removes the second-guessing that often accompanies caregiving, and provides caregivers peace of mind knowing they are doing the right things at the right time.”
Through a well-designed caregiver platform (inclusive of an online portal and iPhone app), Caring in Place® uses their proprietary Intelligent Checklists™ or to-do lists to help family members know what to do, when to do it, and how to care for their aging loved ones. Although caregiver education is a top priority, Caring in Place® also helps family members manage medication adherence, receive notifications and alerts, produce physician reports, and coordinate care among other family members, friends and neighbors.
According to the founders, their concept of checklists originated from Dr. Atul Gawande’s New York Times Bestseller, “The Checklist Manifesto.” Dr. Gawande’s book insightfully argues that the best way to do a job correctly and efficiently is to use expert checklists.
Caregiving solution helps caregivers support their aging loved ones amidst their already complicated lives
More than 50% of family caregivers are employed full-time and many are also raising a family. Fotheringham indicated that today family caregivers are doing more clinically than ever before and are managing much of their complicated lives on their smartphones. Caring for an aging loved one becomes an extension of that same behavior. “Caregivers don’t have the luxury of taking their laptops to mom’s home to capture her blood pressure reading. Caring in Place® leverages mobile applications to allow family caregivers to support their aging loved ones from their mobile phones and at the point of care.”
Caring in Place® is available today at http://www.caringinplace.com and via the Apple App Store.
About Caring in Place®
Caring in Place® is a caregiver technology platform incorporating mobile and online solutions to help family members learn and manage their family caregiving role. Founded in 2011 and based in Denver, CO, Caring in Place® has financial backing from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.
