Communication breakdowns have been common during the COVID-19 crisis, but things have been even more difficult for residents in aged care situations.
People in these situations have been cut off from family members more severely than most, and there are few that would have felt these effects more.
With this in mind, app developers have been working on a solution for the problem of communicating with aged care residents.
The BarbCare app provides instant communication between aged care residents and their families via a clean, minimalistic user interface.
The app allows families and residents to message one another via their carers, in order to stay as connected as possible.
The unique app also makes task scheduling and logging updates simpler for aged care staff, and helps families stay in the loop about their loved one’s day.
Families can view the resident’s daily routines and chat with carers in real time, and send their elderly loved ones updates, messages, photos, videos, and pictures through the app.
Icons on the resident’s page alert carers to specific needs such as glasses, hearing aids and walkers. These are immediately visible to carers as prompts, helping to ensure they’re never overlooked.
Carers can easily add details of the resident’s day to the app, adding comments and photos if they wish.
Privacy is in-built into the app, with residents given complete control over the information shared, including what kind of information they are happy to include.
The pandemic has caused a heavy breakdown in communication between aged care residents and their families, with the majority forced to abandon visits entirely.
Mobile technology can be a minefield for the elderly, and BarbCare allows aged care staff to communicate with families on their behalf.
Michael MacRae, co-founder of Appetiser Apps, said: “With more families facing locked down aged care facilities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the BarbCare app couldn’t have come at a better time. BarbCare shows just how important apps are during the current crisis, in order to help maintain lines of communication between families and their loved ones. Residents are able to send messages, photos, and videos and feel a part of normal life.”
Do you have a family member in an aged care facility? How have you been communicating with them during the crisis?
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