Managing Alzheimer's with a Smartphone App Called "Balance"

Riverdale, NY — With the number of Alzheimer’s patients expected to triple by the year 2050*, there is going to be an increasing need for their caregivers to stay connected and informed with one another. “Balance,” a new app by the National Alzheimer Center, a division of the Hebrew Home at Riverdale, is designed to help family members better manage caring for an Alzheimer’s patient by facilitating ongoing communication among multiple caregivers, tracking and sharing changes in real-time with the patient’s doctor(s), learning about the latest developments in the disease and getting vital information about what to expect as Alzheimer’s progresses in their loved one.

“Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s is all about balance,” said David V. Pomeranz, Executive Vice President, Strategic Planning and Program Development at the Hebrew Home at Riverdale. “We created this app because an Alzheimer’s patient typically has multiple medications, multiple caregivers, and multiple doctors all juggling many responsibilities at once. This app will help caregivers manage better.”

Balance app icons include:
Learning: Everything you need to know about living with Alzheimer’s – from getting diagnosed to learning about the stages of the disease to understanding how to effectively care for someone with Alzheimer’s.
Caregiving: Get helpful tips and information about daily caregiving – from bathing and hygiene to dressing to handling agitation.
Pill Box: Manage daily medications by inputting medication names, dosing schedule, and refill dates and getting notifications on when to provide medicine to your loved one.
Schedule: Effectively manage your loved one’s schedule – share calendars with other caregivers’ calendars.
Doctor Diary: Track changes in mood, activity, memory and other behaviors and share directly with your doctor in real time. No more waiting for your next doctor’s visit to share essential updates.
News: Read the latest news and information about Alzheimer’s to keep up with research, treatments and other developments. Family: Connect with other family members for sharing calendars and working together to provide complete care for your loved one.
About: Learn about NAC and the Hebrew Home at Riverdale.
NAC Store: Find the latest books, medical devices, vitamins and other essential Alzheimer’s products and services to purchase.

Balance is available on iTunes for $3.99 as of March 6, 2013.