Care Tech and Tips

Barry and Bobby start with a question that often gets overlooked: What can family and friends actually do to help the primary caregiver? Drawing from Bobby’s recent experience with the deaths of his mother and two aunts, they identify five practical ways to help—from offering specific assistance and giving caregivers a real break to simply listening without trying to fix everything. Then the conve...

After a few months away, Barry and Bobby are back—and there’s a lot to catch up on. Bobby shares the loss of his mother after her long journey with Alzheimer’s and talks about something many families may never have considered: whole-body donation for medical education and research . He walks through his family’s experience, how the process works, what happens afterward, and why having these conver...

In this episode, Barry and Bobby catch up after a short break and dive straight into a topic that seems to be everywhere right now: scams. They discuss several real-world examples including a malicious crypto wallet app that slipped into the Apple App Store, romance-driven “pig butchering” scams targeting older adults, and emotional manipulation scams appearing on Facebook Marketplace. The convers...

As our parents age, technology becomes both a lifeline and a risk. In this episode, Barry and Bobby explore the growing challenge caregivers face: how to keep loved ones connected without exposing them to scams, confusion, or tech overload. They dive into Apple’s Assistive Access feature, which simplifies smartphones for people with cognitive, vision, or motor limitations. While Apple has made imp...

Why do assisted living facilities keep changing ownership — and why is staff turnover so high? In this episode, Barry shares a real story from his aunt’s facility and breaks down what’s actually happening behind the scenes. From private equity ownership churn to staffing burnout and post-COVID ripple effects, we unpack why so many families are seeing instability in senior care. Then Bobby shares p...

In Episode 30, Barry and Bobby dive into practical tech tips for caregivers and families supporting older loved ones. The conversation starts with a surprisingly common question: how old is too old for a phone? Bobby walks through real-world experience upgrading his mom’s aging iPhone and shares what to expect when transferring data, handling SIM cards, and setting up a simpler device for rehab or...

Show notes and resources are here: https://bit.ly/caretechandtips-resources In this episode of Care Tech & Tips , Barry and Bobby tackle one of those January-doesn’t-play-fair moments. Bobby shares firsthand experience navigating his mom’s recent minor stroke—what happened, what mattered most, and what caregivers need to know before they’re in crisis mode. From recognizing stroke warning signs...

Show notes and resources are here: https://bit.ly/caretechandtips-resources In this episode, Barry and Bobby kick off the new year by talking about something that quietly hurts a lot of caregivers: completion bias —that irresistible urge to “just finish one more thing,” even when you’re already exhausted. Barry shares how that mindset recently earned him a tweaked back while working on his dad’s h...

Caregiving doesn’t arrive as one big problem—it shows up as dozens of small, interrupting, emotionally loaded moments. In this episode, Barry and Bobby catch up after a busy stretch and walk through real-world caregiving challenges: managing constant “I want” requests without burning out, navigating Medicare scams, handling technology changes during a parent’s move, and addressing sensitive caregi...

We are taking a holiday hiatus!  See you soon.

In this episode, Barry and Bobby pull back the curtain on how social media platforms turn engagement into profit. They discuss how seemingly innocent viral posts — alien probes, heartwarming rescue stories, outrage memes — are part of a larger playbook designed to harvest your attention and cash it in . They also talk about how this algorithmic manipulation affects older adults, from Facebook feed...

In this episode, Barry and Bobby swap stories about the crossover between caregiving, tech frustrations, and everyday home life. Bobby kicks things off with a home renovation project for his mom, complete with construction noise, remote monitoring via cameras, and a surprise internet outage. Barry jumps in with his own tale of upgrading his dad’s iPhone, getting forced into iOS 26, and discovering...

Barry experiments with a new recording setup while he and Bobby catch up on family, caregiving, and—of course—technology. Barry shares the saga of helping his dad navigate the real estate market (finances, Zillow, and chasing unicorn houses), while Bobby talks about exploring fall-detection tech for loved ones. The conversation flows naturally into Apple’s latest features—fall detection, gait moni...

Show notes and resources are here: https://bit.ly/caretechandtips-resources In this packed episode, Barry and Bobby cover the latest in caregiving tech, health updates, and a few curveballs life throws at us. From Apple’s life-saving features to IRS rule changes, we’ve got you covered with practical tips, laughs, and real-world advice. Timestamps 00:00 – Back-to-school chaos & catching up 01:1...

Join Barry and Bobby as they dive into the world of email spoofing, passkeys, and caregiving syndrome. Discover how to protect yourself from digital scams, simplify your online security, and manage the emotional toll of caregiving. With practical tips and a touch of humor, this episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating the complexities of modern tech and caregiving. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introd...

In this grab bag episode, Barry and Bobby cover everything from scams and digital hygiene to emotional moments in caregiving. Barry opens up with a story about learning the hard way that being “right” isn’t always helpful—especially in caregiving situations. They debunk the overhyped 16-billion credential breach, share essential password and scam-spotting tips, give an update on DMV ID changes, an...

️ Episode 20 – “Stay Cool and Ride Easy” Show Notes: This week, Barry and Bobby dive into extreme summer heat and how it uniquely affects seniors and their caregivers—plus, they uncover the magic of senior-friendly ride services that don’t require a smartphone . And yes, Barry once again brings the cookies from the "retired nap club." Key Topics: Heat dome warnings and heat stroke signs to watch f...

Summary: Barry and Bobby cover a wide spectrum of caregiver insights in this info-packed episode. They start with the importance of "margin" in daily life, then dive into cognitive screening tools like the BOCA and MOCA tests. They discuss the Real ID deadline (yep, it happened!) and break down the DMV scam surge. Barry shares a clever reminder system for his dad using iOS shortcuts, while Bobby h...

In this early summer episode of Care, Tech & Tips , Barry and Bobby unpack the challenges—and the laughs—that come with traveling during peak wedding season, especially when elderly loved ones are in tow. From construction-packed airports to overzealous Siri mishaps, this one’s full of practical advice and real-life anecdotes. You’ll get five must-know airport travel tips for caregivers, a bre...

Show Notes Summary: In this packed episode, Barry and Bobby return after a short break to dive into the tangled world of caregiving, tech hacks, and emotional resilience. They cover everything from fighting spam FaceTime calls to getting an elderly parent started with grocery lists on Apple Reminders. They share hilarious, frustrating, and heartwarming stories about remote troubleshooting, smart T...

In this episode, Barry and Bobby get real about family time, technology wins, and some of the heavy conversations that come with caregiving. Bobby shares a recent success pulling off a virtual medical appointment for his mom, complete with a how-to guide on making telehealth work smoothly. Barry then dives into the signs that it might be time to consider assisted living for a loved one — and they...

Summary: Barry and Bobby dive into the realities of caregiving from a distance—especially when surgeries, travel, and unpredictable tech snags get tossed into the mix. From planning shoulder surgery logistics for a solo senior living with pets, to tackling the emotional and logistical whiplash of funerals, they don’t shy away from the hard stuff. Plus, Barry’s MVNO switch for his dad hits an unexp...

Summary: In this episode, Barry and Bobby dive deep into three hot topics: robot vacuums that don’t suck (or, rather, do), cellular plans that make financial and practical sense for caregivers and loved ones, and remote screen sharing tools that can save hours of phone-based tech support. Plus, Barry drops a crisp iPhone tip that can instantly improve call quality, especially for family members wi...

Episode Summary Barry and Bobby are back from their “short break” and dive into a packed episode covering everything from nostalgic road trips and family travel logistics to the ever-changing landscape of tech upgrades. They discuss helping aging parents with taxes, cooking tips, and the importance of knowing when to upgrade your devices—whether it’s a phone, laptop, or even a whole operating syst...

We'll be back on Monday March 17th