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Monitor Financial Tasks

As your parents age, they may need help paying bills and dealing with finances. For example, you might want to set up a system where they receive a call from a vendor or payee each month to check on their current balance or ask about any changes in their situation that could impact their ability to pay the bill.

In addition, you may need to help them set up auto-pay or have them sign up for online banking to help them pay their bills online. If they have trouble keeping track of bills, you might even want to set up a system where you review their bills with them before they are mailed out.

Monitor Health Issues

If your aging parents have health problems, monitoring them over time is crucial. Although it’s easy to assume that things are going well, it’s essential to look at medical records and ask doctors questions about the care plan as it applies to your parents’ needs. In addition, if there is something you notice that has changed since your last visit, let your parents know so they can bring it up with their doctor.

It’s also a good idea to look at your parent’s medications so you know what prescriptions to order when you visit next time. If you have any concerns or questions about their medications, ask your parents whether it’s okay to contact the doctor to check on medications before ordering new ones.

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Taking care of your aging parents when you cannot be there for them is hard. Whether you live a couple of hours away or in a different state, the inability to be near your parents, especially when they need day-to-day assistance to perform household chores or deal with health problems associated with age, can also involve the feeling of guilt or increased stress levels because of worrying about your parents’ safety.

Fortunately, there are several ways to make long-distance caregiving more manageable. Here are five strategies to help your aging parents even when you’re far away from home:

Build a Support Network

The first step is to develop a solid support system for yourself. This means talking to other family members about their support for your role as caregiver, so you can keep each other updated with what’s happening at your parents’ homes.

Then, find out whether your parents have friends or family who can help out. You might even want to try connecting them with services that offer daycare or respite care for seniors from services like My Hometouch.

If possible, schedule regular visits with your parents so you can take care of them in person. You can also try video conferencing, an excellent tool for keeping in touch with your parents.

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Set up a Care Plan

Once you have a support network in place, it’s time to create a care plan for your aging parents. This plan should include their daily schedule, medications, and any behavioral changes they have been experiencing. You should also include a schedule of when you can visit them, but be sure to keep this flexible because you might not be able to make it on some days.

In addition, you may want to get your parents’ permission to share this care plan with their local medical provider, so they can coordinate their care and let you know if there is any new health issue that needs to be addressed.

Communicate Often

Since you will not be there in person, communication is key. While it’s essential to be patient and avoid asking your parents the same question repeatedly (even if you’re worried about them), you should also make sure you hear back from them regularly.

If you don’t hear from them for a few days, you can email or call, but respect their privacy and don’t probe them for information if they don’t want to share. You can also set up a time once a week to video chat with your parents, so you can see how they’re doing and speak with them face-to-face.

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Conclusion

Taking care of your aging parents when you live far away can be stressful. However, there are several ways to reduce these stress levels and help your parents maintain their independence.

By creating a support network, making sure you have a care plan in place, communicating with your parents often, monitoring their financial and health issues, you can make this type of long-distance caregiving more manageable.