Q – Don’t think I’m kidding when I tell you that the computer has changed my life. As a caregiver, every second counts, and being able to communicate in quick and efficient manners, and have access to resources for my personal and professional life are so convenient. I still feel like there are better ways that I can make use of technology to save me even more time. What can I do to make my computer work better for me?

A – The time it takes to do everything really counts when you’re a busy caregiver.  Here are some tips that should help you work more efficiently, though do keep in mind that they depend on your specific computer use!

1. Manage your email – sorting through your email to determine what’s total junk, what needs your attention immediately and what can wait until later can be a laborious and long task. Take advantage of software programs like Outlook or even Gmail that allow you to filter your email by sender, by subject and priority so every time you open your email, it’s well-organized  and your priorities are in place! Spam filters on these programs can also help you save time by eliminating the amount of junk email you receive; if these aren’t doing a good enough job try a program like Cloudmark’s Spam Blocker.

2. Use software that make repetitive tasks efficient – how often do you find yourself providing directions to your care recipient’s home when you require respite care? Every time you send them, you waste precious moments typing them out. Instead, you can try a program like Activewords that allows you to create a shortcut to frequently used data so it’s automatically inserted into a file or email!

3. Sign up for RSS feeds – if there are blogs or news pages that you frequent for your career or role as a caregiver, sign up for an RSS feed that will send relevant stories to your email (which can then be sorted and filtered) or use a blog reader like GoogleReader so you don’t have to sort through irrelevant data every time you try to catch up on your resources

Sources: Gaia

Home Health in Greater Phoenix & Home Health in Central Phoenix helps elders and seniors in Phoenix remain at home safely and independently. Call us today at 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480.991.3959.