Two Communication Apps to Help Caregivers

Communication brings people closer together…. even when we are physically distant.

While we are limited with what we can do to support our family members and each other during this pandemic, we do have options.

I’ve witnessed many people embracing technology since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. While there are several things I hope don’t stick around after this pandemic is over (like face masks!), I’m hopeful that some of the ‘good stuff’ will persist, like increasing our communication frequency and methods.

I have introduced many new friends and clients to these two communication-focused apps because they are free and have numerous benefits. Below, you will find more detail about why I really like Marco Polo, and Caringbridge.

Marco Polo

The Marco Polo app maximizes your time by focusing on communicating with the people who matter most.

You send little videos of yourself talking or showing your loved one what you are up to. With Marco Polo it just feels more like having a conversation in real-time.

You may be asking how the Marco Polo app is different than texts and phone calls. For me, it’s way less disruptive. How many times have you wanted to reach out and let someone know you are thinking about them and it’s 7 in the morning or 10 at night? With Marco Polo, I can record my message videos when it’s convenient for me and catch up on my people’s lives when I’m eating lunch, taking a walk, or when I have a few minutes before my next appointment.

How about those times have you read a text from a friend or family member when you’ve been in the middle of something and then you forget to respond?

With Marco Polo, you choose the best time to watch communication from others and communicate with them.

You can communicate one on one or with groups of people. I have two active groups right now. One with my sisters and one with my book club gals.

If you can open an app and click play or record, you will soon find yourself to be a power user.

CaringBridge

While there are caregiver-specific apps to help with communication among your core care team, there is an extended group of concerned individuals who are praying and thinking about your loved one.

During times when my parents have been hospitalized, my family has used an app called CaringBridge to communicate with extended family and friends. It’s an easy way to initiate the power of prayer.

Sometimes you just don’t want to put your whole crazy life out on your Facebook news feed. You may have hundreds of friends but not all of them are closely tied to your loved one.

CaringBridge allows you to create a private site so you can share updates about your loved ones health journey. This is a huge time saver! Sending individual notes is not scalable and impromptu phone calls during a crises is energy draining. I know before we started using CaringBridge, I felt like a broken record repeating the same update over and over and sometimes I unintentionally left people out from a critical update.

All of your core care team can be granted co-author access so the updates aren’t just one person’s responsibility. Once the site is setup, you just share the link with your extended circle of prayer warriors so they can view the journal entries. These visitors can also share comments, photos, and well wishes.

CaringBridge was an essential part of how my mom who was recovering from her health issues was able to communicate with my dad when he was hospitalized. I shared this story in this CaringBridge article.