Using technology to support informal carers

• Written by: Lauren Pluss — Carr Gomm — Digital Marketing Manager
• Published: 5th November 2019

Lauren shares how the YooToo app can support families and informal carers to coordinate and manage themselves around a loved one.

It’s no secret that the UK has an ageing population. With that however comes a reliance on a functioning NHS and a quality social care system and also the active and dedicated community of relatives, friends and neighbours (often referred to as informal carers) who are caring for and supporting their loved ones. This care and support can be helping with shopping, cooking meals, providing social contact, assisting with personal care and so much more. These are all tasks and activities that are vital to an individual’s health and wellbeing and ability to access a good quality of life in their own home.

As our population continues to age, it is predicted that more and more people will become informal carers. This means our older loved ones will rely on the support, dedication and love of those around them while those providing care will continue to juggle their own personal life with the demands of caring.

Carr Gomm, a leading Scottish social care and community development charity and Ember Technology are working in partnership to help support informal carers, having recognised that technology has the potential to help make organising care and support for a loved one a little easier; by using technology, we have brought a range of features and functions together in one place in an aim to hope to make organising care and support a little less stressful. We’ve developed a web platform and app called YooToo which aims to help informal carers and their loved ones by providing a central place to coordinate, collaborate and communicate with others. Features include medication schedules, events, appointments, a central contact list, to-do lists, check-ins, real time notifications and more.

The YooToo app has been designed with the loved one in mind – perhaps not surprising given Carr Gomm’s person-centred approach to service delivery. If users choose, loved ones can access the app, which means they can always see what’s going on, provide their own updates and ask for help or support when needed. In addition, there are medication reminders and daily health questions which ask about mood and pain. All this data is collated in the app’s report screen, where family members can see how their loved one is doing over time. This data is stored securely and is only visible to the other people users have invited to the app. These features help families to understand the bigger picture, get insight into if anything might need changing and helps to give everyone – both families and informal circles of support some peace of mind.

We hope YooToo can help in what can be difficult, overwhelming and challenging times, by providing a platform that helps make life a little less stressful. You can also join an online YooToo community to seek informal help and advice on caring for a family member.

You can learn more about the digital app on the YooToo website (this link will take you away from our website). If you have any questions or queries about YooToo, you can get in touch by emailing support@yootoo.io.

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