Long-distance caregiving can feel overwhelming, but thoughtful planning and the right resources can help you provide meaningful support for an aging loved one and stay connected. How do you manage your aging loved one’s needs from miles away? How can you quickly respond to an emergency when you live in a different state? Here are practical strategies and tips for long-distance caregiving that can make a difference.
1. Build a Long-Distance Caregiving Team
A robust support network is essential to maintain balance and ensure safety for an aging loved one. This is especially true for anyone providing long-distance caregiving support. Build a relationship with the senior’s doctors and medical professionals so you feel comfortable contacting them with questions or concerns. Connect with local family members, friends, neighbors, and volunteers who can help support your loved one and provide you with information when necessary. Additionally, consider hiring professional caregivers who can provide on-the-ground assistance. Work with your loved one and their professional care team to develop a plan of care that provides personalized support.
2. Stay Informed About The Senior’s Needs
When you go long periods of time without seeing your aging loved one, small indicators of big changes can go unnoticed. To help prevent this, schedule regular check-ins with your loved one to understand their health and lifestyle changes. Set up a consistent schedule for phone calls or video chats to communicate with your senior loved one, provide emotional support and stay updated. Encourage them to share their feelings and experiences. Use technology like video calls to assess their living environment visually. Spend some time on these calls engaging in casual conversation, but keep your eyes open for changes in speech, the home condition, weight or appearance, or gait and the ability to move throughout the house. Keep a list of their medical providers, medications, and essential documents, ensuring you are prepared in an emergency.
3. Leverage Technology for Long-Distance Caregiving
Technology, from medication management apps to remote monitoring devices, is effective in supporting long-distance caregivers. Video doorbells, motion sensors, and smart home devices allow you to monitor your aging loved one’s safety and daily activities. Video conferencing tools help maintain emotional connection and communication. Additionally, medication management tools make it easier for your loved one to take medications as prescribed and keep you and their medical team informed about any missed doses, side effects or health concerns. Use these devices thoughtfully and with the consent of your aging loved one. Discuss why you think they are helpful and how you can implement them into the senior’s life without intruding on them or minimizing their independence. Regular communication can ease feelings of loneliness and help you stay attuned to their needs.
4. Coordinate Medical Care
Doctors are a key part of a senior’s support system, and they can provide invaluable information and support to long-distance caregivers. Maintain open communication with your loved one’s healthcare providers. This reduces long-distance caregiving stress and helps keep the senior safer. Ask to be listed as an emergency contact and request updates after doctor’s appointments. Attend key medical appointments virtually to stay informed and provide input. Come to these appointments prepared with a list of any questions or concerns, take notes to better engage with your loved one after the appointments and share key medical information or thoughts on care planning in consideration of any new or advancing medical diagnoses.
5. Visit to Minimize Long-Distance Caregiving Challenges
Seniors cherish their time with loved ones, and this is especially true when their loved ones live far away. Visit as often as possible, and when you can, have the visits coincide with milestones, such as medical procedures, birthdays, or holidays. While visiting, assess their living situation and address larger tasks like organizing finances, updating legal documents, or decluttering their home. If in-home caregivers are involved, speak with them about any concerns or changes they see in your loved one. Visits are also a good time to talk to your loved one about their happiness and quality of life. It is important that the senior understands that they are valued members of the family.
6. Hire Professional Caregiving Support
There is no substitute for professional support, and this level of care is especially valuable when you are providing care to a loved one from hundreds of miles away. Consider engaging in-home care services, such as personal care aides or home health care providers, to assist with daily living activities, medication reminders, transportation, and supervision. Accredited care providers offer customized care plans catered to your family’s needs. They are cost-effective versus assisted living or skilled nursing because you can schedule services part-time, full-time, or around the clock. As a senior’s needs change, care can also be increased to home health care, palliative care, or hospice care to ensure the highest quality of life.
7. Prepare for Long-Distance Caregiving Emergencies
Even in the best living situations or for the healthiest seniors, emergencies can arise, so prepare for them. Create an emergency plan including contact information for local caregivers, neighbors, and healthcare providers. Ensure your loved one’s home has easy access to emergency numbers and medical alert systems. Equip the senior’s home with smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers. Putting together an emergency bag with medications, copies of important papers, a couple of clothing changes, and any other supplies makes it easier for your loved one to grab the things they need if they have to leave in a hurry.
8. Take Care of Yourself
Long-distance caregiving can be emotionally taxing. Make it a priority to take care of yourself. Seek support from caregiver support groups or counseling services. Keep up with your own medical appointments, find time to socialize, journal, and honestly share any of your concerns or burdens with other family members and your aging loved one. Taking care of your mental and physical health ensures you are better equipped to support your loved one.
9. Consider Senior Care Support
Sometimes, seniors’ needs extend beyond day-to-day caregiving. When challenges arise regarding handling finances, medical needs, or critical legal documents, seek advice from senior care professionals. Elder law attorneys, financial planners, or geriatric care specialists can be invaluable for long-distance caregiving. These professionals provide solutions to complex issues, from managing finances to navigating healthcare systems. They can remove some of the burdens from your plate and provide more direct, immediate, and in-person services to your aging loved one.
Long-distance caregiving requires flexibility, creativity, and teamwork. However, by staying proactive and leveraging available resources, you can ensure your senior loved one receives the care and attention they deserve—no matter the miles between you. While it’s not always easy, the peace of mind that comes from knowing they are supported makes the effort worthwhile. Salus is here to help make long-distance caregiving easier by keeping your aging loved one safe and supported at home. Contact us anytime to schedule a complimentary consultation with one of our knowledgeable care managers.
