Smart Apps to Help Seniors Manage Their Health

Maintaining good health becomes more complex as we age, but it doesn’t need to be harder. Today’s tech-savvy seniors can access an endless array of smartphone and tablet apps designed to simplify the management of everything from physical fitness to diabetes. We’ve listed a few of our favorites below. You can download these and other great apps quicker than ever before with Kosciusko County’s fastest internet from Kosciusko Connect.

Keep Fit and Eat Well

It’s never too late to learn a new fitness routine or start a healthier diet. Before you choose an app, have a chat with your doctor and discuss which ones may be best for you.

1. If you love to walk and want to make it more interesting, MapMyWalk will let you track how far you’ve walked, your speed, number of steps, duration, and more. You can also connect with friends and share your routes.
2. MyFitnessPal lets you log your daily physical activity and track your eating and calorie intake. Share with your friends to make staying active more fun.
3. With Shopwell, you can make healthier food purchases by entering your daily calorie requirements, allergies, and more. Then use the app to scan bar codes for nutritional information catered to your needs.
4. Increase your balance and flexibility with daily yoga routines. Ideal for both beginners and veterans, Daily Yoga also includes Pilates and meditation instruction.

Take Your Pills

Gone are the days of setting a timer to remember to take your pills or trekking to the drugstore to talk to the pharmacist about your medications. Now, all the information you need is just a screen tap away.

1. Pill Monitor Pro will set you back 99 cents, but its many features allow you to set up schedules, manage your medications, and keep logs of everything you’ve taken and when.
2. Similar to the app above, Pillboxie helps you manage your medications daily. However, it costs $1 more and uses a visual interface to make entering your information even easier.
3. GoodRX not only provides information on your medications, but it helps you find the best prices, provides coupons, and lets you set up refill alerts.

Train Your Brain

Maintaining mental dexterity is just as important to your overall health as keeping your body fit. The following apps can help keep your gray matter in tip-top shape.

1. Words With Friends connects you with your pals to play all sorts of word games designed to challenge your brain.
2. Created by scientists, Lumosity first gets a baseline to figure out your “brain age” and then offers a variety of games that stimulate your mind.
3. Reading is one of the best ways to keep your brain sharp. With Kindle, you can read all your favorites and find new books to explore right on your phone, tablet, or e-reader.
4. When you’re on the go but still want to enjoy a good book, open LibriVox. This free app gives you access to a host of public-domain audiobooks.

Stay Safe

Safety apps are a wonderful tool if you have a health condition, sometimes have trouble getting around, or travel alone. See if one of these fits your needs:

1. Red Panic Button is a helpful app that immediately alerts your loved ones if you have an emergency situation or simply don’t feel safe.
2. Upload all of your medical information to Lifeline Response. If you have an emergency, your phone can be used as a personal alarm system and alert your emergency contacts.
3. Senior Safety App has lots of bells and whistles, including fall inactivity alerts that let your loved ones know if something is wrong and get help to you quickly.

Monitor Your Vitals

Remember when portable blood pressure monitors were the latest gadgets? Now there are apps that can help you keep track of a variety of medical conditions.

1. Use KardiaMobile to take a medical-grade EKG anytime and share the results with your doctor instantly. The separate sensor device, which costs $99, also checks and tracks your blood pressure and weight.
2. For $99, the portable and compact QardioArm blood pressure device sends its readings directly to the connected app. You can log and track your numbers and share them with your physician.
3. With Dario, you can manage your diabetes with a tiny device ($79) and a smartphone app. If your glucose reaches a dangerous level, the app uses your phone’s GPS tracking to alert loved ones of your location.

Your best life includes all the things that bring you joy. Whether you love power walking, crosswords, or wrestling with your grandkids, using these practical and fun apps can help you manage your health and stay sharp for years to come.

Download and run these apps faster and with fewer disruptions with fast fiber internet from Kosciusko Connect. We’re here to help you have the best online experience possible!