Tips For Caring For A Parent From Long Distance
One of the most difficult times of your life is when you get the call that mom or dad is in the hospital, and you know things are about to change. Will they be able to manage in their home? And more importantly, how will you be able to manage it all from hundreds of miles away?
Start by gathering all of your parent’s medical information. Get names and numbers of all doctors, dentists, surgeons, specialists, pharmacists, and medication records. Make a special file so you can manage it from home, and quickly be able to call the one you need.
Make copies of critical documents, such as wills and power of attorney records. Make sure every member of your family has a copy, including brothers and sisters.
Set up plans and go over them with your parent. If a neighbor or friend will be driving them to doctors’ appointments, create a sheet with phone numbers and schedules and give to everyone involved in the process. If you have regular appointments and can’t get coverage for driving, now may be the perfect time to introduce in home care services to your mom or dad. This will give you the guarantee the appointments are made and kept.
Use technology. Handle as many issues as possible via email with doctors and technicians. You can also invest in video monitoring systems, alert home systems in case your parent falls, and devices that can help remind when pills should be taken, or even turn off appliances like the stove if they go unused for a period of time.
Walk through his or her home and make changes. With so many new tools and fixtures specifically made for aging in place, you can make your parent’s home a much safer place to live. To with an aging in place specialist, and introduce the best tools that will help keep your parents’ independence.
Invest in elder sitters or companion care specialists. This can be your lifesaver – your window into the way your parents live. You can have daily or weekly phone conversations to keep up to date, and put your mind at ease.
