AI can put you in a place of power when it comes to caregiving
An aging population and complex healthcare systems can be overwhelming.
Consider using AI - specifically Large Language Models - as a thought partner, helping you navigate medical complexity with plain language clarity and immediate access.
“Please explain it to me like I’m a five-year-old. Because that’s how I feel right about now.”
Imagine finding yourself suddenly responsible for supporting an 88-year-old loved one with multiple health conditions. You've become one of their primary advocates, helping to navigate a complex healthcare system with two distinct, yet different providers and two different “my health” / “my chart” systems that don’t talk to each other.
All while trying to understand medical terminology that might as well be a foreign language. Doctor's appointments blur together, medication schedules become overwhelming, and you constantly worry you're missing something important (besides sleep).
From drowning in data to crystal clarity
Picture the stack of medical papers on your kitchen table – lab reports with numbers that mean nothing to you, discharge instructions from two different hospitals, and medication lists that seem to change weekly. What if you could transform this chaos into understanding?
This is where AI steps in. Imagine having a tool that could take all these scattered pieces and connect them into a coherent story of your loved one's health. Instead of staring blankly at creatinine levels or ejection fraction percentages, you'd understand what these numbers actually mean for their daily life.
When you walk into that next cardiology appointment, you wouldn't be fumbling through papers or struggling to remember important questions. You'd arrive with organized information and specific concerns based on context the AI chatbot helped you identify in their symptoms and test results.
When doctors can't stay on top of everything
Think about your loved one's healthcare team – dedicated professionals who nonetheless have human limitations. The cardiologist who doesn't read every detail from the nephrology reports because the systems are disconnected. The primary care physician who can't possibly stay current on every new heart failure study relevant to your specific case.
What if you had a resource that could help fill these gaps? AI could become your research assistant, connecting dots between symptoms that might otherwise seem unrelated. When your elderly parent develops sudden ankle swelling, you'd understand how this connects to their recent heart medication changes and declining kidney function – information you could then discuss with their doctor.
AI would NOT replace medical expertise—but it can enhance it. The doctors would remain the decision-makers, but they'd have a better-informed advocate (you) bringing organized, relevant information to appointments.
Health information your way
Imagine if health information could adapt to both your needs. Perhaps your elderly loved one prefers simplified explanations with visual aids, while you need more detailed background to feel confident in your caregiving decisions.
AI could provide them with clear, non-threatening explanations about why their salt intake affects their blood pressure, complete with simple visuals. For you, it might offer deeper dives into the mechanisms of their medications and potential interactions to watch for.
Consider how this personalization might transform their engagement with their own care. Instead of nodding along to confusing medical explanations, they could actively participate in conversations about their health because the information finally makes sense to them. (I have a friend who uses Perplexity to check information in the exam room, for example.)
Middle-of-the-night support
Picture this scenario: it's 2 AM, and one of your loved ones wakes you, alarmed by a new symptom. In the past, this meant either unnecessary worry until morning or an expensive emergency room visit.
What if you could input their symptoms and receive thoughtful guidance about urgency? You might have a better sense of whether this situation requires immediate care or can be monitored at home until morning.
Imagine the peace of mind from logging symptoms, asking questions, and receiving educated responses outside of 9-to-5 office hours. Think about the unnecessary stress and costly emergency visits you might avoid.
A constant companion through uncertainty
Consider the emotional toll of watching someone navigate chronic illness. Their conditions fluctuate, creating anxiety during periods of uncertainty. What if you had access to reliable information and pattern recognition between appointments?
When your loved one's breathing seems slightly labored, you could use an AI-powered health app (like his Apple Watch might capture) to log this symptom. You'd input basic observations—"slight shortness of breath when walking to bathroom"—while the AI prompts you for relevant contextual details:
"When did they last take their diuretic? What was their fluid intake today? Did they try using their new pillow wedge?"
The system would then analyze these entries alongside previously recorded vital signs, medication schedules, and even environmental factors like weather changes that might affect breathing.
Rather than just collecting data points, the AI would help identify meaningful patterns: "Breathing difficulty increases 4-6 hours after evening medication" or "Symptoms worsen when indoor humidity exceeds 60%."
These insights would not only help you make immediate adjustments to improve comfort but would generate a comprehensive report for their cardiologist, showing precise correlations between symptoms and potential triggers, information far more valuable than a vague recollection that "his breathing has been worse lately."
Making caregiving more human
Perhaps most delightfully, imagine how introducing artificial intelligence into your care routine could make the experience more human (anyone who reads me knows this is my north star).
By handling information management, AI could free you to focus on the emotional and practical aspects of caregiving. You'd be less distracted by paperwork during your time together and more present for meaningful conversations.
The healthcare system would still be complex, but you'd have created a more manageable, personalized approach to their care. Perhaps one that honors their dignity and preferences while keeping them healthier through better-informed decisions.
This isn't a distant future scenario. These tools exist today, ready to transform the overwhelming responsibility of caregiving into a more supported, informed, and empowering experience.
If you found yourself in this caregiving role tomorrow, how might AI help you provide the best possible care while preserving your own wellbeing in the process?
Now's the time to start thinking about where you might get support in a rapidly changing environment. Whether that means better understanding, calmer nerves or emboldened choices, consider leveraging AI in your most important moments. I know it’s helped me with my dear George.
If you need support in writing your story, we are here to help. We train leaders and teams to handle AI on their terms, safely responsively and with an awareness of the risks and rewards of using AI to facilitate growth.
Resources from AIGG on your AI Journey
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