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title: "Video calls or daily reminders: which helps an older parent more?"
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1.  [Home](/)
2.  [Caring from a distance](/caring-from-a-distance)
3.  Video calls or daily reminders? 

Comparison

# Video calls or daily reminders?

Both are ways of staying close to someone who lives alone. They are not alternatives so much as answers to two different questions.

Short answer

Video calls are for connection and need both people free at the same time. Reminders are for structure and arrive whether or not anyone is available. If the worry is loneliness, call. If the worry is that the day has no shape, remind.

[Begin caring today for free](/signup)[How it works](/features)

## What video calls do well

-   You can see how someone looks, which a phone call hides. 
-   Grandchildren, faces and real conversation — the thing that actually eases loneliness. 
-   Good for weekly contact and for spotting change over time. 

## Where video calls struggle

They need a device, a working connection, and both people free at once. They also need the older person to answer, which is exactly the thing that fails when someone is unwell or low.

For many households the equipment itself becomes the barrier: an app that needs unlocking, a tablet out of charge, a call that rings in an empty room.

## What daily reminders do well

A scheduled prompt arrives at a fixed time with nothing to install and nothing to answer. It supports the routine — food, fluids, a walk, a call to a friend — rather than replacing human contact.

It also produces a quiet signal for the family: confirmed or not confirmed, without anyone having to ring and check.

## How families combine them

The common pattern is a fixed video or phone call two or three times a week for connection, and a short daily reminder for the ordinary hours in between. The reminders take the checking out of the calls, and the calls get better as a result.

## Being straight with you

You Care Reminders is a non-medical wellness tool, not a monitoring service and not an alarm. Delivery is best effort rather than guaranteed, and it must not be used for medication reminders. If you are worried about someone's health, speak to their GP; in an emergency, call 999.

## Questions carers ask

### Is a tablet worth buying for video calls?

### Can reminders replace calls?

### What if they cannot manage either?

## Read next

-   [Caring from a distance](/caring-from-a-distance)
-   [Parent misses family calls](/parent-misses-family-calls)
-   [Loneliness call reminders](/loneliness-call-reminders)
-   [Do smart speakers work for older parents?](/do-smart-speakers-work-for-older-parents)

## Set the first reminder tonight

It takes about five minutes, costs nothing to start, and the person you care for has nothing to install.

[Begin caring today for free](/signup)[See plans](/pricing)

You Care Reminders 

Thoughtful reminders that help families stay quietly connected to the people they love.

Wellness support, not medical advice.

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Care scenarios

-   [Dementia check-ins](/dementia-check-in-service)
-   [Daily prompts for MCI](/mild-cognitive-impairment-daily-prompts)
-   [Drink & meal reminders](/dehydration-reminders-elderly)
-   [Compared to dementia clocks](/vs-dementia-clocks)
-   [Why smart alarms fail](/why-smart-alarms-fail-older-adults)

More scenarios

-   [Loneliness call reminders](/loneliness-call-reminders)
-   [Safety check-ins](/safety-check-in-service)
-   [Hydration reminder app](/hydration-reminder-app)
-   [Family care app](/family-care-app)
-   [Live-in care alternative](/live-in-care-alternative)
-   [Care glossary](/care-glossary)

Guides

-   [Caring for elderly parents](/caring-for-elderly-parents)
-   [Dementia care at home](/dementia-care-at-home)
-   [Mild cognitive impairment](/mild-cognitive-impairment)
-   [Dementia clocks](/dementia-clocks)
-   [Signs of dehydration](/signs-of-dehydration-in-older-adults)
-   [Carer burnout](/carer-burnout-early-signs)
-   [Respite care](/respite-care-uk)
-   [Carer's assessment](/carers-assessment)
-   [Telecare explained](/telecare-explained)
-   [Loneliness in later life](/loneliness-in-later-life)
-   [All care guides →](/guides)

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