Share the Care, Stay in Sync

One of the most common things we hear from dementia caregivers is: "I feel like I'm doing this alone." Even in families where everyone cares deeply, the practical reality is often that one person — usually an adult child or spouse — carries the overwhelming majority of the daily care burden. Other family members want to help but do not know what needs doing, or they live far away and feel disconnected.

OurTurn's Family Circle was built to change this dynamic. By giving every family member the same view of the daily plan and of what has been confirmed on the clock, OurTurn makes it possible for siblings, partners and the wider family to take part in care — regardless of where they live.

When everyone can see what is happening, help becomes practical rather than theoretical. A sibling who lives an hour away can see that the morning went quietly and send a note to the clock. A partner who works long hours can look at the day before coming home. A cousin who visits on Sundays knows what the week's routine looks like.

Every family in OurTurn has a six-digit Care Code. To invite someone, share the code from the Family page. They create their own OurTurn account on the web or in the OurTurn Caregiver app, enter the code and join your Family Circle.

The same code connects OurTurn: My Day on your loved one's phone or tablet. A device that enters the code only asks to connect: nothing about your loved one is shown on it until someone in the family approves it, and a device you forget is disconnected at once.

Whoever set up the family is told whenever someone joins, by notification and e-mail, and can remove a member from the Family page at any time — their access ends at once. If you ever do not recognise someone, remove them and change the Care Code.

The free plan includes you and one more family member. OurTurn Plus is for families who want more than 2 people in the Family Circle.

Anyone in the family can send a short note to your loved one's clock — "Sarah is coming for lunch on Saturday" — and choose how many days it stays on the clock face. A note can carry a photo, too.

The family can also record reminders in their own voice, so the morning walk is announced by a voice your loved one knows.

It works the other way too. On their clock, your loved one can tap "I'm thinking of you", and the family gets a gentle notification. From their Help screen they can open "Your family": the emergency contacts you added, with big Call buttons, and the names of the family members who care for them.

When your loved one confirms an activity or a medicine reminder, everyone in the family with access sees it within seconds — if your loved one has chosen to share it. Everyone sees the same plan and the same clock, so there is no need to ask "has Mum taken her pills?" by text: you can look at the app. A confirmation is a tap on a button, not proof, so a quick call is still the best check when something matters.

This shared view also supports families spread across time zones. An adult child abroad can look at their parent's day before going to bed, and a sibling in another city can follow the afternoon routine while the primary caregiver is at work.

For families who are just beginning to share care responsibilities, the visibility that OurTurn provides can be the catalyst for meaningful change. When everyone can see how much the primary caregiver is doing — and how much there is to do each day — it naturally encourages others to step up and contribute.