Buddy for caregiving
Send me photos of the labels or the papers from the hospital. I’ll copy them into a list you can print and tell you anything I couldn’t read.
A daughter in Eugene, Oregon, the morning after her dad came home from the hospital.
Buddy made the photos in this conversation to stand in for the ones a person would send. The labels are left unreadable on purpose.
Send me photos of the labels or the papers. I’ll copy them into a list you can print, and tell you what I couldn’t read.
- Here are Dad’s discharge papers. What do they say to do this week?
- Make this list a spreadsheet I can edit when something changes.
- Make a one-page sheet for the weekend sitter with Dad’s routine and who to call.
- Today 7:50 AM
- You: dad’s home from the hospital and there are 7 bottles on the counter. can you make a list with doses and times i can print for the fridge?
- Buddy: Yes. Send me a photo of each label and I’ll copy them exactly as written.
- You sent a picture: A photo of seven orange pill bottles on a kitchen counter. One has a yellow sticker, and its pharmacy label is turned away
- You: ok that’s all of them. the one with the yellow sticker is hard to read
- Buddy: Six came through clearly. On the one with the yellow sticker, the label is turned away, so I can’t read the dose. Can you turn it toward you and try one more near a window?
- You sent a picture: A closer photo of the bottle with the yellow sticker, held near a window with its pharmacy label facing the camera
- You: how’s this
- 7:58 AM
- Buddy: That one’s clear. Here’s his list: name, dose, and when, copied from the labels, with a box to check off for each one.
- Dad’s medicines, for the fridgePDF
- Buddy: Two labels say to take with food, so I noted that. If anything here doesn’t match what the hospital told you, that’s one for his pharmacist.
- You: this is exactly what i needed Buddy loved this.
Send me photos of the labels or the papers from the hospital. I’ll copy them into a list you can print and tell you anything I couldn’t read.
From a counter of bottles to a list on the fridge
Send me what you have
Photos of each label, the discharge papers, or a list you typed. If something is hard to read, I’ll tell you which part and ask for a clearer copy.
I copy it, I don’t judge it
Each medicine goes in with the dose and timing its label gives. Whether a dose is right is a question for his doctor or pharmacist, not me.
Print it, then change it
You get a PDF to print. When something changes, tell me and I’ll make a new version.
More you can ask for
- Make a list of Dad’s medications with doses and times I can print for the fridge.
- Look at my calendar and find a time this week for Dad’s follow-up with Dr. Patel.
- Find a shower chair and grab bars that fit a tub, under $100, and compare them.
- Draft an email to my brothers about how Dad’s doing and what we need help with.
- Find out what Dad’s county offers for family caregivers, with links.
- Remind me every Sunday at 6 to fill Dad’s pill organizer.
What you get back
A list you can print
A PDF with each medicine, its dose, and when to take it, as the label says. Ask for a Word file or a spreadsheet if you’d rather edit it yourself.
Work with filesWhat I couldn’t read
If a photo is blurry or a page is cut off, I’ll say which one and ask for a clearer copy. Check the list against the bottles before it goes on the fridge.
Papers in plain words
Send the discharge instructions and ask what they say. I’ll explain what’s on the page, and you take your questions to his care team.
Easy to find again
Ask for Dad’s list next month and I’ll look for it.
Find a file again
Dad’s medicines
- Name, dose, and when, copied from each label
- Bottle 1
- Bottle 2
- Bottle 3
- Bottle 4
- Bottle 5
- Bottle 6
- Bottle 7, yellow sticker
Two labels say to take with food. Questions go to his pharmacist.
Questions people ask
Does Buddy check whether the doses are right?
No. Buddy copies what the labels and papers say and points out anything he couldn’t read. He isn’t a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist, so he doesn’t judge a dose or suggest a change. Take those questions to the pharmacist or the doctor.
Will Buddy remember Dad’s medications?
He can keep useful context, like the fact that you’re caring for your dad. When the exact list matters, send it again or ask for the saved file. You can also ask what he remembers, or ask him to forget a detail.
Can he send the list to my brothers?
He can email the list to your own verified address. To send it to your brothers, connect an email app and tell him who they are. Check the list before it goes anywhere.
How do I remove this later?
Ask Buddy to forget a specific memory, or use Forget under What Buddy remembers in the VXBE desktop app.