Often times, it can be a huge challenge to care for your senior parents. But if you have senior parents who live far away that you’re caring for – that can present a whole new set of obstacles. Fortunately, Home Care Assistance is going to help you put the logistics of long-distance senior care in order. Read through our advice below and learn how you can help your elderly parents from a distance.
Assess the situation and know your options.
You can begin the process by assessing your senior parents’ overall situation. Determine their state of health and their living situation. In order to this, you may need to contact their current physicians or ask a caregiver if they can provide you with frequent updates. Getting the family together is another good idea to start with, so you can discuss who will be responsible for what. As an example, if you have a brother or sister who lives nearby the parents, designate them with checking in on a daily or weekly basis.
Get organized and automated.
Automate, automate, automate! Determine which bills your parents are paying and set them up on autopay. If your parents have services like newspaper subscriptions, prescription refills, or grocery delivery, enroll them into auto-renewal.
Think of this step like you are running a second household, then ask yourself what would YOU want taken care of if you were in your parents’ position?
Keep in touch.
The best way to physically check in on your parents’ well-being is to visit them in person as much as possible. This will also help you assess anything else they may need, and of course, spend quality time with them. If you are unable to visit with them as often as you want, find out if there are other family or friends who live nearby. If so, then you can encourage them to visit with your parents when you are unable to do so.
If neither of those options work for you, then keeping in touch through technology will do the trick! If your parents are on the tech savvy side of things, communicate with them often through text messages, phone or video calls, or email. For parents who may need some technological assistance, ask their caregiver to help them make a video call to you once in a while and to share their daily logs and notes with you online.
For further assistance developing a senior care plan for your parents, call Home Care Assistance! We’ll schedule your consultation to learn your family’s needs and build a personalized plan.