Is it right for you?

Would a daily information display help my parent?

A screen showing the day, the date, the time and what is happening can make a real difference for some people, and very little for others. Here is an honest way to tell which is likely for your parent.

By Phil Martin, founder of Daily View · 6 minute read

Signs it is likely to help

• Your parent asks the same questions about the day: “What day is it?”, “Is someone coming today?”, “When is the hairdresser?”
• They worry about missing things, or get ready far too early “just in case”.
• Paper calendars and notes are not working: they are out of date, in the wrong place, or there are too many of them.
• Several people help, and nobody is quite sure who has told your parent what.
• They are reassured by routine, and like to know what comes next.

When it may not be the right thing (yet)

• Reading is very hard. Daily View uses short, large text and simple icons, but it is still words on a screen.
• Screens cause distress. Some people find any new device unsettling. A paper calendar, kept up to date, may be kinder.
• Nobody can keep it current. A screen that shows the wrong day’s plan does more harm than good. It needs someone to spend a few minutes a week on it.
• The real need is safety. If the worry is falls, wandering or emergencies, look at alarms and monitoring designed for that. Daily View does not do those jobs.

What Daily View actually does

It shows one calm screen: the day, date and time, whether it is morning, afternoon, evening or night, today’s events, and what is coming up next. Family and carers update it from their own phone, tablet or computer, and changes appear within about a minute. Read more in What is Daily View?

Questions to ask yourself

1. Where would the screen go, so it is seen many times a day? (Next to the chair, in the kitchen, by the front door.)
2. Who will add the week’s plans, and when?
3. How would your parent feel about it? It is worth asking them. See Talking with your parent about a Daily View screen.
4. Is there a spare tablet, or would you need one? See Choosing a tablet.

Need a hand? Email support@dailyview.org.