4 apps to help you stay independent as you age
Undoubtedly one of the biggest concerns for ageing Kiwis is their capacity to remain independent the older they get. Thankfully, there are hundreds of apps out there designed to make life easier – no matter what your age. Here, we take a look at five of the best tools to help over-60s and their ageing relatives safe and independent.
1. Medication reminder
If you’ve reached the age of 60 and aren’t on any medications, you’re one of the lucky ones! For the rest of us, however, forgetting to take our tablets at the right time of day (or night) can be all too easy. The Medisafe pill reminder is available for iOS and Android sends you notifications throughout the day straight to your smartphone or tablet, reminding you to take your medications, vitamins and even alerting you when you need to refill your prescription.
2. Toilet finder
There’s nothing worse than being out and suddenly realising you need to use the restroom. With the Toilet Finder app, this’ll never happen again. The interactive map shows where the nearest bathrooms are, whether or not they’re accessible, and if they’re free to use – great if you’re travelling in a city that often charges for toilet use. The app is available on both iOS and Android devices.
3. Find lost items
Do you have a habit of misplacing your keys, wallet and other belongings? Don’t worry – you’re not alone! The Tile app (on iOS and Android) (starting from around $38 each) which can be attached to frequently-lost items, will ensure you never lose them again. The “Tiles” attached to your items interact via Bluetooth with your smartphone or tablet and will show you the exact GPS location of your misplaced item.
4. Remember where you parked your car
We’ve all been there at least once – exiting the shopping centre only to find we’ve completely forgotten where we parked. Thankfully, you can stop this ever happening again with a simple parking reminder app. On iOS, there’s Instaparking and for Android users, ParKing Reminder, both of which let you pin and take a photo of where your car is parked so you can locate it easily.
Tell us in the comments below, what else do you think people can do to stay independent as they get older?
Related links:
Incredible health benefits of using technology over 80
4 ways technology can combat loneliness
Tips to cope with losing independence with age