This post is sponsored by Hank®. All opinions and statements are my own.
So much to do and not enough time or energy to do it. This family caregiver reality ties us all together no matter what our care recipient’s condition.
Technology can be a caregiver’s friendly ally. Especially now in this pandemic, utilizing home delivery options manages the risk of getting Covid-19 and offers us some semblance of normal.
I’ve used many of the technology services I’m sharing below but was not as familiar with them six years ago when we were providing primary care for my mom and my husband’s mom simultaneously. Some of these delivery options did not even exist! Now, there is even a new concierge service called Hank to help you arrange these online deliveries and transportation services!
You can see which delivery options are available in your area and which delivery services may be the best fit for you.
DoorDash
With DoorDash, you can have food from local restaurants delivered right to your door. On their website, you can see what restaurants deliver in your area and an estimated current wait time. When you select the restaurant, you can see their rating and delivery information as well as view the menu of delivery options.
For caregivers, this offers the periodic option to take a night off from cooking without leaving your home. For our care recipients who live either around the corner or in another state, orders can be placed on their behalf – perhaps from someone on your care team who is helping with long-distance care.
I know my mother-in-law loved hibachi and would have enjoyed having it delivered to her apartment so she wouldn’t have to get ready or drive after dark. Of course, we would have needed to request extra ginger and yum yum sauce. We affectionately called her the ‘condiment queen’. She would have also had leftovers to enjoy the next day.
Instacart
Instacart is a great option for groceries, office supplies, pet supplies, and personal health options. Once you enter in the delivery address, you’ll be notified if Instacart is available in your area and for which stores. Since I’m in a metro suburb, I have many choices including Costco, Target, Kroger, Publix, Petco, CVS, and Staples.
Many of these stores also offer prepared heat and eat fresh meals, meal kits, frozen family dinners, deli sandwiches, or rotisserie chickens.
I used Instacart many times for my mom when she lived close by in a senior living community. Mom would call me in a panic before work letting me know she was nervously close to running out of her adult underwear. I’d look at my calendar and not see a window in the next few hours where I would be able to get to Walgreens and then to her place. Instacart came to my rescue in many of these situations.
Uber and UberEats
Many of us have tried Uber for ourselves but did you know you can also request an Uber driver to take your loved one to an appointment by scheduling a ride in advance?
All Uber drivers are also required to allow service animals. Uber is also currently testing its WAV (wheelchair-accessible vehicle) option in select cities. These WAV Uber drivers are certified by a third party in safely driving and assisting people with disabilities.
UberEats is similar to DoorDash. They’ll pick up the food you ordered from your favorite restaurant and deliver it to your desired destination. To get started, enter the address for you or your loved one to see what options are available in your area.
Preview the menus of your restaurants to see if they offer ‘family meals’. I’ve noticed that many more restaurants are offering this option including Jason’s Deli, Chick-fil-A, Cracker Barrel, and Moe’s Southwest Grill.
Postmates
Postmates is another option to deliver groceries, food, and other supplies. Similar to the ones I mentioned above, start by entering the delivery location and see which stores and restaurants may be available. Most places charge a delivery fee between $.99 and $2.99 and estimate the delivery time.
Delegate the Delivery Options
Maybe setting up any of the above services just adds to your overwhelm, or maybe you classify yourself as someone who is not ‘tech savvy’. If that’s the case, here’s another option.
A new concierge service for caregivers, called Hank, can automate some of the repetitive tasks on your to-do list and give caregivers and their families some of their time back. It’s as easy as picking up the phone and calling or texting your personal concierge. Based on the current responsibilities you have, your Hank concierge will offer personalized suggestions. Perhaps a regular grocery pickup of the essentials from Instacart, scheduling transportation for doctor visits with either Uber or Lyft or delivering tasty morsels from a local favorite restaurant via Doordash.
Hank can also save you money! There is an option to use the split payment feature which allows family caregivers, siblings, and care recipients the ability to split the costs of any task. Definitely a more equitable distribution of limited funds! For the remainder of 2020, Hank is offering their premium package ($49.99) for their basic price of $19.99, PLUS they are tossing in the first month FREE to make sure you love it. Check out Hank’s website for more details.
Automating my Mother-in-law’s cat food and liter delivery would have been great with a regular Instacart order or perhaps my husband’s brother who lived several states away could have put in a recurring order for her hibachi to be delivered on a regular cadence. What a nice way to let someone know you are thinking of them and want to help.
Say Yes to Gift Cards!
When friends and family ask how they can help you or your loved one, gift cards for delivery services are a great option to suggest. Once you know which service is the right fit for you, share the gift card links below!
Instacart giftcard
Uber Eats giftcard
A word of caution: do not save the gift cards you receive…make it a goal to use them in the next few weeks! This way you won’t forget about them or lose them and will be in the position to say ‘yes’ ‘to more help.
