10 More Useful and Fun iPhone Apps for the Sandwich Generation Issues of Caring for Elderly Parents and Babysitting Grandchildren

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While my senior mom and I still consider the Jitterbug cell phone one of the best cell phones for senior citizens, it is much too simple and basic for this busy baby boomer. Of course, that's exactly why my senior mom and her elderly friends love it, and for them, it's perfect. For me, as you probably know, it's the AT&T iPhone all the way, baby! I love it. It's my second brains. And on some of the extra crazy Sandwich Generation days, it's probably closer to my first brain! 🙂  One of the many reasons I think that is the iPhone APPS! They are AWESOME. Which is why I'm spotlighting more of them this week!

Apps to Help with caring for elderly parents – grandkids too, sometimes – 

• WebMD Mobile – I love this free app. When I was traveling, and my senior mom wasn't feeling well, I used its symptom checker to help me figure out if I needed to have someone take her to the doctor for me (I didn't). It also offers info on drugs, first aid (yet more first aid books in your cell phone app), specific information on medical conditions, and a search option to find local medical assistance – doctor, pharmacy or hospital. Perfect for the Sandwich Generation granny nanny dealing with the issues of caring for elderly parents, not to mention babysitting grandchildren, near OR far. 
• AARP – I have three free AARP apps  – AARP, AARP Bulletin (News and Analysis) APP, and AARP The Magazine APP. Feel Great, Save Money, Have Fun. There is one other free app,  AARP Viva Magazine APP. The Premier Bilingual Multimedia Brand for Hispanics 50+ and Their Families. They all offer plenty of senior research information and reading material for the caregiver while out and about on errands – great for reading while standing in a long line. 

My best iPhone game apps for kids make great activities for grandparents and grandchildren!

• Pac-Man – As a member of the baby boomer generation, I can still remember how excited my husband was when this hit our local pizza parlors – leaving the pin ball machines to grow dusty cobwebs. Now, it's my grandkids who love it and it's great on the iPhone. I started with PAC-MAN Lite, which is free. When we saw how fun it was, I upgraded to the $4.99 version – PAC-MAN.  Among other interesting games, they also offer Ms. PAC-MAN and PAC-MAN Championship Edition. I'll think about those next year if the grandkids play out all the levels with the Pac-Man I have.
• THE GAME OF LIFE Classic Edition – I have to confess, this is one board game I've always disliked. My grandkids love it but I rarely play it with them for that reason. BUT this $2.99 iPhone app is MUCH better and easier than the board game version. I still prefer they play against the computer, but when I occasionally say OK as a special treat, it's a much more enjoyable time for this here granny nanny. 
• Labyrinth 2 – The Labyrinth maze continues to be one of the top faves of my grandkids but this is a new and more challenging version including some pinball bumpers. Well worth its $4.99!
• Rush Hour Free – ThinkFun, one of the game companies we love, has a fun sliding block traffic jam game. I have the free version, currently. If they start playing it a lot, then I'll upgrade to the regular version of Rush Hour. 
• Lego Instructions – One of my 3 newest apps for the grandkids. It has instructions for several projects to make good use of the old and new LEGOs bricks my grandkids have and it looks GREAT. Easy to read and well worth it – AND FREE!
• LEGO® Creationary – The second of my newest apps for the grandkids. They have this board game. I just downloaded it and am looking forward to test driving with them. We haven't played it yet, so I can't tell you how good or bad it is BUT it IS LEGOs and it is FREE so I had to share it with you. 🙂
• Bricasso – This one is 99 cents and this granny nanny had fun playing with it! I can't wait to share it with the grandkids. They're gonna love it! 🙂

App To Help Us in "Taking Care of the Caregiver"

• Calorie Tracker Lite – LIVESTRONG.COM: Achieve Your Diet and Fitness Goals – As I continue to wrestle with my weight (currently I'm back up 5 pounds, putting me at a net loss of only 5 pounds – sigh!) and experiment with the Flat Belly – MUFA foods – Diet (the diet seems to be great – the will power of this busy Sandwich Generation Granny Nanny is NOT so hot!), I've used this app the most. I have the free version and just use it to check calorie counts on food items. For the 2.99 version with extra "tools," just click on Calorie Tracker – LIVESTRONG.COM: Achieve Your Diet and Fitness Goals

Well, there you have it. Out of a ton of iPhone apps on my iPhone, the 10 apps above plus those from last week's article, 5 Useful and Fun Apps for the Sandwich Generation iPhone, are my current favorites. But stay tuned. I'm sure more new apps will be released that will be great for all of us in the Sandwich Generation and when I find out about them, I'll pass them on to you. And YES, I would love to hear what your favorites are to help with caring for the elderly parents in the family as well as babysitting grandchildren. 🙂