4 Ways To Be a Better Caregiver For Your Loved Ones

According to AARP, nearly 44 million Americans are caregivers for a relative or friend over age 50. That’s nearly 1 in 5 adults nationwide. As our population ages, an increasing number of Americans are becoming caregivers. So whether you’re a first-time caregiver or anticipate becoming one in the near future, it’s one of the most important roles you’ll ever have. Luckily, there’s already a wealth of online resources on caregiving, one of which is AARP’s excellent First Time Caregiving Guide. However, we’d like to focus on the tools you’ll need to manage this responsibility. Here’s 4 important areas that our ultra-secure LifeSite Vault Plus can help.

1. Starting your team

   No one is an island. Providing care can often be too big of a task for any one person It’s ok to reach out for help! The more you’re able to rely on family and friends, the more sustainable your care will be. Once you’ve decided on teammates, you’ll need a system to help all of you communicate and collaborate. LifeSite Vault Plus allows you to add up to four teammates to your account. All four get their own free LifeSite Vault Basic account.

2. Get digital

   Start by taking stock of your loved one’s information. That includes everything from their will, medical card number, financial investments, and even online account login information. You’ll then need an easy, convenient way to store that information in a secure digital vault. LifeSite Vault makes this process easier with two key features:
   1. Built-in mobile scanner The free LifeSite app already allows your teammates to quickly view and modify your loved one’s account. With the built-in scanner, you can scan, edit and upload documents in minutes, all from the convenience of your phone.
   2. Pre-organized categories LifeSite has dozens of existing categories for you to enter your loved one’s information. As a result, their information remains easily and intuitively accessible, regardless of who entered it in.

3. Pick and choose

   Storing your loved one’s information is just the first step. Think carefully about what information you want to share with each caregiver. This is your loved one’s life information, so therefore you need to keep it as safe and secure as possible. With LifeSite Vault, this is as simple as choosing the permission level each teammate has for each category of your loved one’s information. Most importantly, you stay fully in control of your loved one’s account at all times. LifeSite can also notify you when a category is accessed, for your own peace of mind.

4. Communicate securely

   Supporting your team is just as important as caring for your loved one. That starts with making sure you and your teammates can quickly, conveniently, and securely communicate amongst yourselves. Often times caregivers will choose email as their method of communication, but with hacks and breaches so prevalent these days, that’s not a risk you want to take. LifeSite’s messaging system is completely encrypted and protected by our patent-pending security architecture. All messages you send to teammates via LifeSite Vault remain in the system, so you’ll never need to worry when sending even the most sensitive of information.

Finally, if you’re interested in some tips on how best to begin the conversation with your loved one, check out our Digital Preparations guide.