An App for Alzheimer's Caregivers

From VOA Learning English, this is the Technology Report. Alzheimer's disease is mostly a condition of old age. Today, life expectancy is increasing around the world. As a result, the number of people affected by Alzheimer's is expected to triple in some countries by 2050. People with this brain disease often have other medical needs that require the services of many health care professionals. Caregivers often have a hard time keeping up with all the medical information. More and more often, family members are being called on to help care for loved ones with Alzheimer's. It is a responsibility for which most people are unprepared. That is why the Hebrew Home, a private health care group in Riverdale, New York, developed an iPhone and iPad application called Balance. The app offers caregivers advice on recognizing symptoms and on feeding, bathing and providing a healthy environment for the patient. It can be bought on the Internet for $4. The Hebrew Home is a not-for-profit organization that provides care to 75,000 patients in New York City. David Pomeranz is its program development director. He created "Balance." Mr. Pomeranz says the Balance app is designed to let users organize information so they can easily keep track of a patient's health. It helps caregivers manage doctor's appointments and share information with doctors about the patient's daily emotional changes. Interest in the app has not been limited to the United States. David Pomeranz says people in other countries are also using it. Software developers are working on a version of Balance for mobile devices using the Android operating system. For VOA Learning English, I'm Laurel Bowman.(Adapted from a radio program broadcast 29Apr2013)