Care Givers and Spouse Online Communication

howhale

Looking for an easy way for our two care givers and myself to share daily information regarding the experiences with my wife. Would like to be able to privately post information such as meals consumed, surprises, issues, helpful tips, questions among the group, etc.

Has anyone used an app or program they might suggest?

SDianeL

You could set up a Facebook Group. You can be the administrator and approve the members.

fmb

If these are paid, professional caregivers, they are probably bound by HIPAA laws which require all electronic healthcare communications to be sent by secure communication channels. Someone else may have more knowledge about this type of situation and may correct me if I'm wrong.

harshedbuzz

@howhale

A couple of thoughts.

If these are agency aides, they likely have a communication book already. I'm not sure what data you'd want collected and reported to you, but they might be able to make a copy on your home printer to hand off. Dad's aides and any home health medical professionals I've worked with (usually after a hospitalization or surgery) take notes in a book. The recent nurses that worked with mom made notes in a notebook that was left for her— schedules for visits and PT exercises to do.

If you want an app, WhatsApp would work assuming the aides are open to its use and tech savvy enough to use a smartphone that supports the app. I have a friend whose family does this to coordinate care for their mom. They'd need Wi-Fi, so you'd need to share the password to enable the use of the device.

IME as the parent of a child with special needs who needed to communicate with educators and such, I found compliance best if I asked my care-partner (teacher, aide, SLP) what worked best for them. Sometimes a checklist works well because it doesn't require much time or writing. Some liked a communication book that gets passed around. For these I preferred a Composition Book-style so pages couldn't be removed without my knowing. I also made copies from time to time in case the book went "missing". Others like an email or the phone.

HTH-
HB

​fesk

I made a daily log which was kept in a binder in the home. When one aide left and another came in, there was a clear picture of what happened during the day. Also, good as a future reference. I also kept several pages of useful/helpful information about my mother for the aides. Also, when/if there is turnover with the aides, the information is still there and no longer accessible to the aide who has left. It would be nice to have an app for all of this but you may not be able to customize it as you like.

howhale

After looking at several possibilities, I elected to setup a private Facebook page for the caregivers and myself. It has proven easy, handy and allows all of us to share our experiences. It also gives me and them information for the hospice nurse when she visits to keep them informed. I am not that tech savvy but I did find it very easy to setup and use. It was near impossible to record notes in a book or to read it without it being an issue with my wife.