Smartphones are ubiquitous in today’s world. They are not only handy, they can be very helpful too, with the right apps installed. Seniors in assisted living have many great app choices available to make life easier, better connected and much more fun. Whether you or your senior has an android or iPhone, here’s a look at apps that can really make your day.
Helpful Apps for Assisted Living
Skype is one of the original video apps for reaching out to friends and family anytime. It’s easy and reliable and also offers voice and instant messaging as well.
With the AARP Now app members can get all the benefits of AARP on their mobile phone including news, events and discounts anytime. In addition, when you download the app you automatically get AARP Reward points! The app can also be synced to a fitness tracker to earn more points for getting exercise swimming, stepping or cycling.
A lighted magnifying glass app can be a great help to a senior in assisted living and is available for both Apple and android devices. Use it to read medication instructions, menus and other things that seniors often struggle to read.
Healthful Apps for Assisted Living
The Elevate brain training app keeps users sharp with more than 35 games to exercise reading, writing, math, and speaking skills. Choose 3-5 games each day and track performance against yourself and other app users.
Like Elevate, Lumosity offers games to help seniors exercise their brains and improve cognitive function. The joint effort of scientists and game designers, Lumosity offers games for cognition, including speed, memory, attention, flexibility, and problem solving, as well as math and language.
Memorado was developed by brain training scientists at the Global Cognition Initiative and lets users establish goals, assess difficulty levels and personalize their daily training schedule. The app offers more than 20 games to help seniors in assisted living improve speed, concentration, memory, reaction, and logic.
Red Panic Button is an app designed to alert emergency contacts of a person’s location when activated. Contacts will receive a text message and an email letting them know where the person is via GPS coordinates on Google Maps. Whether it’s a fall, a sudden illness or other emergency, this app is used by people of all ages to help them stay safe and secure.
Entertaining Apps for Assisted Living
NPR (aka National Public Radio) is enjoyed by millions of people around the world and the app let’s seniors in assisted living do that anytime they like without a radio. They can listen to live streams from stations around the country, enjoy programs like Morning Edition and Fresh Air, and create playlists of their favorites. The app is available for android and Apple devices.
Audio books are great for seniors with failing sight to enjoy listening to favorite classic books as well as thousands of new ones. One of the top apps is Audible. Although there is a monthly fee, the app offers audiobooks across a range of genres, guided wellness and podcasts. Another option, also by subscription, is Scribd which offers similar options at a slightly lower monthly cost.
Reading apps are great for mobile phones and two of the best are Kindle for android and Apple Books for iPhones. Both offer access to purchase thousands of books, magazines, newspapers and more, and help seniors bookmark their place, look up words, and customize the page to fit their reading preferences.
Fitness Apps for Assisted Living
Pocket Yoga is exactly what it sounds like, a yoga instructor in your pocket! Pocket Yoga let’s seniors in assisted living take advantage of breaks in time when they can just practice a little or enjoy a full routine. The app provides a soothing voice, background music, and step-by-step instructions for a variety of skill levels and time periods. Pocket Yoga can also connect wirelessly through an Apple TV or with cables to view on the big screen. Best of all, it does not require internet connectivity to work so you really can enjoy your yoga anywhere you like.
Walking, indoors or out, is a great way for seniors in assisted living to get daily exercise and the Map My Walk app helps track their walking accomplishments by distance, pace, calories burned, and even elevation. Made by Under Armor, the app also works with a variety of fitness devices like Fitbit.
Silver Sneakers GO is an app designed specifically for seniors to help them develop and complete exercise programs spanning from four to 12 weeks. The app lets the user schedule exercise activities, gives reminders and includes videos for strength, walking and mediation.
These are just a few of the many apps developed every day to enhance life, and make it healthier, safer and more fulfilling for seniors in assisted living. For information about Countryside, please call Margaret Nagel at (517) 206-5000 or download our brochure to learn about our care levels, cost, and amenities.
