My friend recently asked me about recommendations for improving family communications about their aging parents through the use of technology.  Their family is struggling with keeping everyone current on their parent's situation and having a more even view of care required to keep them living independently. 

No surprise to most of you, this is a very common problem.  Typically the family member living nearby and providing help with aging parents every week has to convince the distant relatives that problem is emerging.  Occasionally, it even works the other way.  A visiting family member who hasn't seen mom or dad in a while can sometimes be struck by the a dramatic decline in cognitive ability, memory loss, or even overall health that has crept up on the local caregiver.

There are several good free tools for sharing information with your family.  Many people use Yahoo Groups  for this (to learn more click here).  It's free and easy to use, but to take full advantage of the portal family members must have a My Yahoo ID.  The Id is free, as well, but it's extra steps.  These groups can have restricted membership and other monitoring controls.  Without a Yahoo ID people can still participate in email communication through the group much like a classic list-serve.

Google has a similar tool (click here).  There are also a large variety of these with a more specific medical focus.