Often times when we think of providing help and assistance care for an elderly relative, we normally think of family members who live close to the person in need of care. People who live close to their aging family members can certainly provide in-person care and support much easier and more frequently than out of town relatives. However, with our “mobile society” where people no longer live in the same general area, this represents more of a challenge today than at any point in our history. No longer are the children living where they grew up and yet their parents likely still reside in the same city.
Children often move far away from their parents for many reasons, one of which is their jobs. That does not mean children who do not live close to their parents cannot be of service in caring for their parents when they need it. This was discussed in detail by Flagstaff Business News in "How to Care for Loved Ones from Miles Away."
To provide long distance elder care, the most important thing is to stay informed about the situation and what the options are at any given time. It is vitally important to know what level of assistance an elderly family member needs. This knowledge not only helps in better understanding what is needed but also lowers the stress and anxiety of both the family members and the elderly parent.
Not all people who are in need of care need to go into nursing homes or some other facility to get the necessary assistance that is required. Some would be much better off with home health care and other in-home care options. Relatives who live far away can help figure out what the home health aide options are in the area in which their elderly relative lives.
It goes without saying that a large part of long distance care is visiting as often as possible. Even phone calls are a great way to stay in touch and to let elderly relatives know you care about them. And with virtually everyone having a mobile phone at their disposal, it is easier today than ever before to just stay in touch with a call or text. You would be amazed at how much this means to someone who can’t be visited as often as they would like
With the proper planning it is much easier to provide help and assistance to a relative or loved one that lives further away. There are also a number of resources that can help you in this effort. If you need some resources or would like to get together and talk further about what some of these specific ways are that could work for you, just give us a call.