Review my care needs with me. Did you hear me? WITH ME!!!!

Recently, I came across the above statement in a LinkedIn post, which made me pause and reflect on my own experiences as a caregiver. It prompted me to reflect on the decisions I made at the time, particularly regarding how frequently I engaged my mother in discussions about her care needs. I found myself questioning whether I had sufficiently addressed her social needs, how much I genuinely valued her opinions, and if I had placed her safety and health above her desire for independence.

Life can sometimes seem overwhelming, especially when balancing a demanding job, frequent travel, family obligations, and the care of an elderly parent. In such a busy environment, it can be challenging to carve out time to engage with aging loved ones and involve them in important decisions. While it might seem easier to make choices for them, I have discovered that even with the best intentions, excluding them from the decision-making process can lead to misunderstandings, resentment, and a loss of independence. It can also have an impact on their overall health and the quality of care they receive.

At SimpliTend, we recognize two essential dimensions of senior care: one is tactical care, which prioritizes safety and medical requirements, and the second is engagement care, which emphasizes activities and social interaction. Both dimensions are crucial for the holistic well-being of seniors. When family caregivers engage seniors in these two areas, it fosters enhanced health outcomes, greater emotional stability, and a heightened sense of independence.

Tactical Care: Addressing Safety and Medical Needs

This category of care needs focuses on the physical health and safety of seniors by covering essential areas such as medical management, which includes overseeing medications, coordinating doctor visits, personal hygiene, and meals. It also emphasizes senior safety at home and outdoors by preventing falls, enhancing accessibility, and keeping them safe while outdoors.

When older adults take part in decisions about their healthcare and safety, they typically experience an enhanced sense of control and awareness, which can alleviate feelings of helplessness. This engagement also provides insights into their preferences for medications or concerns about privacy related to specific safety devices. As a result, they are more likely to stick to treatment plans, as understanding the rationale behind their care encourages compliance. Additionally, being involved in everyday choices helps seniors preserve their dignity, promoting a sense of respect and worth instead of fostering dependence.

Engagement care: Activities and social engagement

Seniors often develop daily habits that bring them comfort, such as waking up at a specific time, eating favorite meals, or enjoying particular activities. If caregivers impose rigid schedules without considering these preferences, seniors may feel their normalcy slipping away. In addition, if seniors value time with friends, outings, or hobbies but are not given the opportunities to stay socially active, they might become withdrawn or experience loneliness, which can negatively impact their mental well-being.

Overlooking the emotional, social, and personal preferences of seniors can contribute to their social isolation. Research indicates that this isolation can severely affect their mental and physical health, increasing the risks of cognitive decline, depression, heart disease, and even mortality. The National Institute on Aging emphasizes that seniors who participate in meaningful social activities generally experience improved mood, cognitive function, and overall well-being.

Currently, very few tools are available that effectively support collaboration between working family caregivers and their aging loved ones. Most personal health applications, smart home devices, and wearables function primarily as one-way communication devices, enabling caregivers to monitor the health and location of seniors. Unfortunately, these solutions do not foster independence for seniors or encourage cooperative engagement in their care. We believe that SimpliTend stands out as the only tool specifically designed to enhance collaboration between seniors and their family caregivers. By keeping essential medication details, activity management, and appointments accessible on seniors' mobile devices, we empower them to review and update their information. Caregivers can then view these updates and make necessary edits remotely, creating a more interactive care experience.

Additionally, SimpliTend provides a convenient platform for seniors and their caregivers to input comprehensive care information directly into the mobile app. This includes essential health information, dietary choices, allergies, daily emotional and physical requirements, as well as contact information for their primary doctor and preferred hospital. The app securely stores this information in the senior’s app, allowing seniors to easily view and update it whenever necessary, while caregivers can also make changes remotely.

SimpliTend is dedicated to using technology to make remote care easier while promoting collaboration for busy family caregivers and their aging loved ones.