No matter how far away you live from your senior, odds are that you want to be there for her as much as you can. Long-distance caregiving is complicated at times, but it’s possible. What you and your senior need the most are the right tools to ensure that all is well. When something does change or an emergency crops up, hopefully you’ll already have a plan in place to help resolve the situation.
Gather Important Information Before There Is a Problem
By the time an emergency pops up, it’s often too late or too difficult to get a lot of the information you might need. You can head off that difficulty a bit by ensuring you’ve got as much information beforehand as possible. That means gathering medical records, legal documents, and practical information, too. You may need to know things about your senior’s utilities, insurance company, and more so that if there is an emergency, you’re prepared.
Try to Visit as Much as You Can
When you can, try to plan a visit with your senior. The majority of the visit can be just for fun, and you should be able to spend time just enjoying each other’s company. But don’t forget to make sure that your elderly family member has what she needs, too. Talk about what’s happening with her health and what might be getting more difficult for her. If you need to start thinking about home care, it’s better to do so now than to wait until there’s an emergency.
Line up Companion Care at Home
Even if your elderly family member doesn’t need help with any of her daily activities, having someone stop in and just say hi certainly doesn’t hurt. Many seniors are more isolated than they realize, especially if friends and family members live far away. Companion care at home is an excellent option, because caregivers can stop by and engage your elderly family member in conversation as often as she’d like.
Set up Communication Guidelines with Your Senior
It’s important that you and your senior have a system in place to communicate about what’s going on. Friendly calls just to chat are essential, but so are “business” calls where you’re able to focus on her needs and what’s changing for her. If you’ve got a schedule in place, it’s easier to ensure that you’re not missing any of those details and your senior doesn’t end up feeling as if every call is about difficult topics.
Adjust What Isn’t Working to Keep up with Your Senior’s Needs
Over time, you and your elderly family member can start to get a feel for what is working with this plan and what isn’t. Make changes as soon as you can when you determine something isn’t working for her. Adding tools to her arsenal is always going to be a good way to support her needs.
Long-distance caregiving often feels as if you’re missing something, but with communication and help from others, you and your aging family member can cover all the bases much more readily.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Companion Care at Home in Newberg, OR please contact the caring staff at Home Matters Caregiving today. 800-298-5140
