An App That Helps You Care for Your Family, Wherever They Are

An App That Helps You Care for Your Family, Wherever They Are

Many people of my generation are torn between responsibilities of caring for our own children and looking after our elderly parents too. Many of us also live hectic lifestyles and are struggling to fit all our responsibilities and in to our daily schedules.

With a family of your own, it can be difficult to commit to proper time to physically care for elderly relatives which might leave us full or guilt and make us worry more about their well-being. Sometimes, the distance is the problem and we can’t physically be there all the time if you live far away from each other.

My father was ill for many years at the end of his life and he passed away in 2008 after many stays in hospital and I wish the technology I’m about to tell you about was available then.

My father-in-law is in much better health than my own father was, but he’s still not the healthiest and has had a few falls recently – one of which made him break his leg in the garden!

Technology is amazing and it’s wonderful when people come up with brilliant ideas that improve our lives using technology. One new invention is the famil.care app with the goal to shape the future of family care and the quality of life through responsible use of technology.

It’s a technology platform that enables family members to look out for each other wherever they are in the world. There are options for managing both senior and junior members of your family both in everyday life and in case of an emergency using the app on both your phones. You also get an emergency button that your elderly relative carries with them always. This button is a discreet device (as small as a £2 coin) that detects falls and has an SOS alarm to alert you if you are needed. You can wear the button as a pendant or attach it to a belt for example. It can even be used in the shower!

This technology gives your relative independence and freedom and makes them feel secure that they’ll be able to reach you when they need you in an emergency. It also gives you peace of mind and stops you feeling helpless as you stay connected to each other. You can choose to have the technology alert multiple family members too which is great.

Other useful features of famil.care include that you can immediately connect to your loved one’s phone to listen and speak in event of emergency via the microphone on their device and receive accurate GPS location if there’s a problem. You can also remotely manage contacts and calendar and send personal voice reminders – ideal for medication of medical appointments. You can even see when the battery is running low on your family member’s phone and remind them to plug it in to be charged.

The whole system has been specifically designed for people who are not confident with technology. My father-in-law is definitely one of them! The senior interface is simplified to make it easy for an elderly user and they can phone anyone they want with just one click. The app launches automatically when they turn their phone on too so they don’t even have to locate the app to open it.

The name for this technology is perfect – famil.care really helps you care for your family, wherever they are.

Currently famil.care Nexus (the central hub) is available on Apple and Android and famil.care Senior (connected to Nexus) is available on Android. It’s a monthly subscription service that starts at £5.99 per month.

I am a member of the Mumsnet Bloggers Panel, a group of parent bloggers who have volunteered to review products, services, events and brands for Mumsnet. I have not paid for the product featured in this post. I have editorial control and retain full editorial integrity. I have received a voucher as a token of thanks for this post.