How to Help Your Elderly Loved One When You Live Far Away

If you live far away from your senior loved one or you aren’t able to get to their home to help them often, you don’t have to worry. There are still ways that you can help your loved one without actually being there often. Caregiving from farther away is possible, although you might still need to get support from others.

Senior Care Seal Beach CA – How to Help Your Elderly Loved One When You Live Far Away

Getting Things Organized

One of the best ways to help your elderly loved one from far away is by getting things organized. The more organized that you are, the less stressful things will be for you and your loved one. Starting to get organized can be tough. However, if you make a system that includes managing health information for your loved one that would be a great start. This should include people they can contact locally in case of an emergency, a medication list, medical history, contact numbers for their doctors, allergies, and a schedule for their appointments. Keeping a binder is a great way to organize these things. There are also medical apps that you or your loved one can use, as well.

Learning More

If you live far away from your loved one, but you are still trying to take care of them, it would be helpful if you learn all that you can about their medical conditions and medications. For instance, if your elderly loved one has lupus, you should all that you can about the symptoms and treatments of this condition. If your loved one is taking a blood pressure medication, make sure that you know all the side effects that could occur with that specific medication. If your loved one has a progressive disease, make sure you know what to expect as their condition worsens.

Getting Support

It is important that you and your loved one have the support needed. It would be helpful if you get to know your loved one’s neighbors, friends, doctors, and senior care providers. Let them know how they should contact you if they have any concerns or even just to let you know how things are going. You should regularly keep in touch with these people, so you know what is going on with your loved one’s medical condition.

Personal Visits

At times, you might be able to actually visit your elderly loved one. During these visits, spend as much time as you can with your loved one. If there are certain tasks such as stocking up their freezer or making a home repair that needs to be done, plan to do these during your visit or hire someone to do them for you.

These are some of the ways that you can still help your loved one from far away. You don’t have to live near your elderly loved one to take care of them.

Sources:  https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/caregiving/long-distance-caregiving

If you or an aging loved one are considering Senior Care Services in Seal Beach CA, please contact the caring staff at 1Heart Care Services today.