Caring for a family member

Everyone who helps sees the appointments, and who is visiting when. The prescriptions, the shopping and the paperwork are shared out, so nothing is missed.

You and your brothers and sisters work in one Magpie team for the care. A neighbour or a carer can be given just one list.

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The Care for Mum Calendar for October: hospital and GP appointments, each sibling’s visits, a hearing test and To-dos such as collecting a prescription.

This combination of six Magpie areas fits a family caring for someone.

Calendar
Calendar shows the appointments and who is visiting when.
To-dos
To-dos shares out the jobs, from prescriptions to the shopping.
Notes
Notes keeps the care notes, such as what the consultant said.
Contacts
Contacts keeps the GP, the pharmacy and the carers.
Team chat
Team chat keeps the family talking in one place.
Secure Files
Secure Files keeps each person's copies of the papers, encrypted.

Everyone sees the appointments, and who is visiting when.

Calendar shows the care team's events to everyone in it, from appointments to each person's visits. To-dos with a date show on it too.

Your own meetings and work stay on your own calendar.

Team calendar in Calendar

The jobs are shared out, and nothing is missed.

To-dos holds the week's jobs, each given to one of you, with a reminder by email. A To-do can repeat every two weeks, such as collecting a prescription.

A List can be shared with a neighbour or a carer, by their handle. They see that List and nothing else.

Lists and sharing in To-dos

The Care for Mum List for this week, shared with Mum’s neighbour: To-dos with their days and who is doing each, under the line that says who can see the List.

What the doctor said is written down once, for everyone.

Notes keeps the care notes, open to everyone in the care team. Each note is saved as you type, with checklists.

Search finds a note by its words, such as the name of a medicine.

Team notes in Notes

Search results for “medicine” in Notes: the care team’s notes about Mum’s medicines and appointments, and Joanna’s own notes, each with where it is and when it last changed.

The GP, the pharmacy and the carers are in one list.

Contacts keeps everyone involved, with their numbers and notes on each call. A follow-up becomes a To-do, such as ringing about test results.

Everyone in the care team sees the same list.

History and follow-ups in Contacts

The people involved in Mum’s care in Contacts, each with tags, contact details, when they were last in touch and the next follow-up.

The family talks in one place, not in a dozen texts.

Team chat gives the care team channels, such as one for the hospital. You can reply in a thread and add pictures.

Everyone sees the same messages, so nobody has to pass them on.

Channels in Team chat

Copies of the important papers are kept encrypted.

Secure Files keeps your copies of papers, such as the power of attorney, encrypted. Each person's files are their own.

A secure link sends one file to someone, such as a sister or the bank. It expires when you choose.

Encrypted storage in Secure Files

Joanna’s Secure Files open on the Mum’s papers folder: folders for hospital letters and money, then the power of attorney, the care plan and a council letter, each with its size and date.

Three more areas cover letters, passwords and a call.

Documents
Documents holds letters and a care plan to print or send.
Password Vault
Password Vault keeps your logins, encrypted, such as the pharmacy's website.
Video Chat
Video Chat makes a short call between two of you.

A hospital appointment goes from the letter to the follow-up.

  1. The letter

    The appointment goes on the calendar.

  2. The lift

    A To-do says who is driving.

  3. The notes

    What the consultant said goes in a note.

  4. The chat

    The family hears the news in the hospital channel.

  5. The follow-up

    A follow-up reminds you to ring about the results.

Setting up takes four steps.

  1. Make the care team

    You invite your brothers and sisters by their handles. Help: Create and manage a team.

  2. Add the appointments

    Each one goes on the calendar. Help: Use Calendar.

  3. Start the week's jobs

    Each To-do goes to one of you. Help: Use To-dos.

  4. Keep the papers

    Each of you keeps your own copies. Help: Secure Files.

Plans

A care team on the free plan has places for 3 people, and the Team plan for 25. A neighbour or a carer can be a guest with only one List. A guest takes no place.

Secure Files is on every plan. Prices are on the Pricing page.

Prices are on the Pricing page

Other people looking after a household have pages of their own.

Questions family caregivers ask

Can my brothers and sisters see the appointments?

Yes. Events in the care team show to everyone in it, with To-dos that have a date. A private event is seen only by the person who made it.

Can we split the jobs between us?

Yes. Each To-do can be given to one of you, with a reminder by email. The team's To-dos list shows who is doing what.

Can a prescription reminder repeat?

Yes. A To-do can repeat every week, every two weeks or every month. The next one is scheduled when you tick off the current one.

Can a neighbour see the shopping list?

Yes. A List can be shared with them by their handle. They see that List and nothing else of the care team's.

Can we keep notes from appointments?

Yes. Notes keeps them, open to everyone in the care team. Search finds a note by its words.

Can we keep copies of the power of attorney?

Yes. Secure Files keeps your copy encrypted in your browser. A secure link can send it to someone, expiring when you choose.

Share the care in Magpie.

Create a Magpie account and make a team for the care.

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