The Carefull Solution
Carefull is a new digital technology service that gives caregivers responsible for paying bills, cutting costs, guard against fraud and negotiate with insurance companies their loved ones full financial picture. This really caught my attention since finances are a big part of my caregiving responsibilities for mom. We have the same service providers and at least once a month I pay one of her bills and not mine or vice versa.
Carefull creates a full financial picture that identifies what money is coming in and going out through daily careful account checks. This allows the technology to alert you to possible late payments, unusual transactions and changes in spending that could be a sign something more is going on with your elder.
Money is a tough family subject and when you create a circle of family members in the application, it facilitates the coordination and communication around money matters much easier.
Careful is currently in beta with access via the iPhone. I am anxiously awaiting the ability to use this app in 2021 on my Android.
Click here to read about the Carefull Solution
The Hank Solution
Hank is a new application designed to save caregivers time and money by scheduling recurring care tasks on a caregiver’s behalf. They currently offer hot meal and grocery delivery and transportation services. They are adding prescription delivery soon.
Hank is working with trusted providers like DoorDash, Instacart and Uber to provide these services across all 50 states. They have a bill splitting feature that encourages distribution of the costs of scheduled tasks across multiple people. Sign up is easy by filling out a survey and your answers create a custom care plan. You do not have to provide payment information or even sign up for Hank to receive your care plan. You can schedule tasks in two ways, via text or by approving the tasks you want on your custom care plan. Once you approve four custom care plan tasks, the first task is free.
Hank currently costs $19.99 per month for unlimited tasks, with a 30-day free trial.
I can see using this for myself even more than scheduling recurring tasks for mom. It would help me be a better caregiver to have some of my own tasks taken off my plate.
Full disclosure: If you fill out the survey and answer the question “How did you hear about us?” and answer the question “Other” with typing in Advocate for Mom and Dad, I will get a small referral fee if you approve your care plan and sign up for Hank. Don’t let this influence you one way or another; check them out.
Click here to read about the Hank Solution
The LYN solution is designed to give caregivers access to a broad range of services with an extensive curated vendor network. This network is designed to serve as a personal assistant and respond to family caregiver challenges through a smartphone application and a human- staffed Member Care Center. The variety of services range from transportation, home companion and housekeeping to lawn care and even medical appointment scheduling.
LYN enables families to track, coordinate and monitor a wide variety of caregiving tasks, event and schedules through reminders and alerts. LYN facilitates communication between all family members on the platform, which in turn can encourage their participation in the caregiving efforts. Building a community enables LyfLynks to use the purchasing power afforded by all of its members to ensure the quality and fair pricing of vendor services and goods.
Membership to LyfLynks is free for the first 60 days following enrollment. After the 60-day promotional period you will be invited to continue your membership for a monthly fee of $39.99. Services and products ordered by members through LYN are paid through LyfLynks and then billed to the member’s credit card. There are no long-term commitments involved.
Click here to read more about the LYN Solution.
Disclaimer: The material in this blog is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace, nor does it replace, consulting with a physician, lawyer, accountant, financial planner or other qualified professional.
Deb is available as a caregiver consultant. She will answer the question: “Where do I start?” and find the resources to alleviate your stress. If you would like to invest a half hour to learn how she can help you, please contact her at: Free 30 minute consulting call
