Episode 55

Caregiver Overwhelm? Tech Tools That Lighten Your Load

Published on: 20th August, 2025

Caregivers often wish they had “another set of hands” to help manage endless tasks, appointments, and responsibilities. In this episode of the Life on Repeat Podcast, Laura explores how technology—when used intentionally—can save time, reduce stress, and bring more breathing room into the caregiving journey.

From shared calendars and safety monitors to medication reminders and even AI, Laura shares practical tech tools designed to support caregivers without ever replacing the heart of caregiving. This conversation highlights how technology can be a helper, not a substitute—freeing you up to stay connected, present, and human.

👤 Meet Laura Vaillancourt

Laura Vaillancourt is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Geriatric Mental Health Specialist, and founder of Eldercare Counseling & Guidance Services. Through the Life on Repeat Podcast, she helps caregivers feel less overwhelmed and more supported by providing education, resources, and encouragement rooted in compassion and expertise.

📌 Topics Discussed

  • The heaviest pain points in caregiving (appointments, communication, safety, isolation)
  • 5 tech categories that can support caregivers:
  1. Daily organization & reminders
  2. Safety & monitoring tools
  3. Medical support
  4. Emotional & social connection
  5. Respite & outsourcing
  • Real-life caregiver stories where tech made life easier
  • Practical ways caregivers can experiment with AI (emails, activities, translations, and more)
  • Keeping the “heart in tech”—why connection always comes first

⏱️ Timestamps (Approximate):

00:00 – Why technology can be a caregiver’s ally

06:15 – Caregiving pain points that feel the heaviest

12:40 – Organization & reminders: calendars, task lists, voice assistants

20:50 – Safety & monitoring: GPS trackers, sensors, stove shutoff devices

29:35 – Medical support: smart pill dispensers & symptom trackers

36:40 – Emotional & social connection: Memoryboard (*Correction: GrandPad mentioned in episode was meant to be Memoryboard), Echo Show, family engagement

45:15 – Outsourcing & respite apps (TaskRabbit, Papa, Care.com)

51:20 – AI for caregivers: real-world examples and creative uses

01:02:00 – Keeping the heart in tech: connection over replacement

💡 Key Takeaways:

  • Tech should lighten your load, not replace your role as a caregiver.
  • Shared calendars and digital task lists reduce overwhelm and ease coordination.
  • Safety devices (GPS, fall detectors, stove shutoffs) bring peace of mind.
  • Smart pill dispensers and trackers support independence and medical accuracy.
  • Connection tools like Memoryboard and Echo Show help families stay close from afar.
  • Outsourcing platforms can provide small but meaningful breaks for caregivers.
  • AI can be a practical assistant for emails, activity planning, translation, and more.
  • Start small: one tool at a time to see what truly helps without adding stress.

📚 Resources Mentioned:

  • Carely (caregiving app)
  • Google Calendar (shared scheduling)
  • Alexa & Google Home (voice assistants)
  • GPS trackers & smart home sensors
  • MedMinder & Hero (smart pill dispensers)
  • Symptom tracking apps
  • Memoryboard (tablet for seniors)
  • Amazon Echo Show
  • TaskRabbit, Papa, Care.com
  • AI tools: ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude

🤝 Connect with Laura Vaillancourt:

🌿 Connect with the Life on Repeat Podcast

Subscribe and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

If this episode gave you new ideas for making caregiving a little lighter, please like, subscribe, and share it with another caregiver who could use some support. 💙 Together, we can build a stronger caregiver community.

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About the Podcast

Life on Repeat: A Dementia Caregiver Podcast
A Podcast for Dementia Caregivers
Life on Repeat is the podcast for dementia caregivers who need a breath, a laugh, and a lifeline.

Hosted by eldercare consultant and dementia coach Laura Vaillancourt, each episode offers practical tools, expert insights, and honest conversations to help you navigate the caregiving journey with more clarity and less overwhelm.

Whether you're a spouse, adult child, or long-distance caregiver, this show is your companion through the complex world of dementia care—offering wisdom, validation, and encouragement every step of the way.

You’re not alone. You’re doing better than you think. And this podcast is here to walk beside you.

About your host

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Laura Vaillancourt

Laura has a unique perspective of dementia. She grew up spending time in the nursing home wing of the hospital her mother worked at in a rural community in the Pacific Northwest. She learned from a young age the importance and impact that connecting with those that have memory impairment can have. This early exposure shaped her perspective and fostered her passion and love of working with those who experience and live with dementia.

Laura is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Geriatric Mental Health Specialist and Eldercare Coach. She owns a group practice that specializes in serving the aging population and she has extensive experience as a consultant providing counseling, coaching and care management to families that are in the midst of making difficult decisions related to their loved one’s care and health transitions.

Laura's passion and professional experience has been working with individuals and family members that have been affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. She is a passionate speaker and educator on topics related to dementia and caregiving. She is the host of Life on Repeat: a Dementia Caregiver Podcast.