Is Carelo a good alternative to CareZone?

Yes. After Walmart acquired CareZone in 2020 and the app was retired, many families lost the shared place where they tracked medications and coordinated care. Carelo picks up where CareZone left off — medication tracking, a shared family calendar, and care notes — in one private space built for the whole care circle. Carelo is independent and not affiliated with CareZone or Walmart.

How much does Carelo cost?

Carelo starts with a free 7-day trial, then continues as a paid subscription — a shared calendar, medication tracking, and care notes for your whole care circle. There are no ads, and we never sell your data.

Carelo helps families coordinate care for an aging parent together: build a care circle, share a calendar of appointments and visits, track medications, and post quick daily check-ins so everyone stays in the loop.

Free tool

Are you burning out?

Caregivers are famous for answering “I’m fine” while running on empty. This private self-check gives you an honest read on your own strain — the part of caregiving everyone tells you to watch and no one makes time for. Answer for how things have actually been lately. Nothing is saved or sent.

Caregiving is physically hard on me — the lifting, the broken sleep, the lack of rest.

My own sleep is regularly disrupted because of caregiving.

I feel like I’m always on call, with little time that’s truly my own.

Caregiving has strained my finances or my work.

I’ve pulled back from friends, hobbies, or things that used to restore me.

I feel emotionally drained — like I have little left to give.

I’ve let my own health slide — checkups, exercise, my own medications.

What I have to manage feels like more than one person can handle.

I feel resentful, guilty, or like I’m failing — sometimes all at once.

Caregiving has created tension in my close relationships.

I’ve been more tearful, anxious, or short-tempered than usual.

I can’t see how this is sustainable for me much longer.

Answer honestly — there’s no score to pass or fail, and nothing is saved or sent. A reflection appears here as you go.

This is an educational reflection, not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional care. If you’re struggling, please talk to your own doctor or a mental-health professional — caring for the caregiver is part of caring for your loved one.

What the research says — and why your strain matters

The questions above mirror the domains of the Modified Caregiver Strain Index (Thornton & Travis, Journal of Gerontology, 2003), a validated 13-item screen (internal reliability α = 0.90) covering physical, financial, social, psychological, and personal strain — where a score of 7 or more signals a high level of stress.
Strain isn’t just unpleasant — it’s a health risk. The Caregiver Health Effects Study found older caregivers reporting strain had a 63% higher risk of death over four years than non-caregivers (Schulz & Beach, JAMA, 1999).
You’re far from alone. The Family Caregiver Alliance reports that an estimated 40–70% of family caregivers have clinically significant symptoms of depression — and roughly 40% of dementia caregivers do.

Where to get support

The single most skipped support is respite — planned breaks where someone else takes over. It is not a luxury; it’s maintenance. Start here:

ARCH National Respite Locator — find respite-care services near you.
Eldercare Locator (Administration for Community Living) — your local Area Agency on Aging, adult day programs, and caregiver-support programs by ZIP code.
Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline — free, around the clock, at 800-272-3900.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988 any time you feel you can’t go on.

For more, read our guide on caregiver burnout and the mental load, our guide on caring for a parent with dementia, along with the “is it time for memory care?” self-check and the care cost comparison if a change in care is on your mind.

← All free templates & tools

Are you burning out?

What the research says — and why your strain matters

Where to get support

Helpful guides