Appetiser Apps launches BarbCare, a communication tool for the aged care industry to help combat the loneliness of COVID-19

 

 

Australia, 4^th May, 2020: Appetiser Apps has launched its latest project, BarbCare, designed to help combat the communication breakdowns caused by COVID-19. 

 

The BarbCare app provides instant communication between aged care residents and their families via a clean, minimalistic user interface. The app allows families and residents to message one another via their carers, in order to stay as connected as possible. 

 

The unique app also makes task scheduling and logging updates simpler for aged care staff, and helps families stay in the loop about their loved one’s day. Families can view the resident’s daily routines and chat with carers in real time, and send their elderly loved ones updates, messages, photos, videos, and pictures through the app. 

 

Icons on the resident’s page alert carers to specific needs such as glasses, hearing aids and walkers. These are immediately visible to carers as prompts, helping to ensure they’re never overlooked. Carers can easily add details of the resident’s day to the app, adding comments and photos if they wish.

 

Privacy is in-built into the app, with residents given complete control over the information shared, including what kind of information they’re happy to include. 

 

The pandemic has caused a heavy breakdown in communication between aged care residents and their families, with the majority forced to abandon visits entirely. Mobile technology can be a minefield for the elderly, and BarbCare allows aged care staff to communicate with families on their behalf. 

 

Michael MacRae, co-founder of Appetiser Apps, said: “With more families facing locked down aged care facilities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the BarbCare app couldn’t have come at a better time. BarbCare shows just how important apps are during the current crisis, in order to help maintain lines of communication between families and their loved ones. Residents are able to send messages, photos, and videos and feel a part of normal life.”

 

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Appetiser Apps has also been busy helping their clients pivot their apps to include features that replace face-to-face interaction and provide better online shopping experiences. 

 

Their products are allowing businesses to maintain their customer relationships and continue taking orders, as well as solving new problems unique to COVID-19.

 

“Now is a critical time for marketers and brands to remain connected to their consumers,” added MacRae. “We’ve been busy designing apps that transform bricks and mortar businesses into online powerhouses. The challenge now is for marketers to do the same.”