Published November 15, 2021
When an older adult lives far away from family and friends, coordinating care can become more complicated. There is a lot that can be done to help that person have what they need, but that means putting together a solid plan of action. Here are four tips to help coordinate care.
Getting to know other people who already help your loved one is a great idea. There may be people you know and have met, like longtime neighbors, but there may be other people you have not met. Compiling a list is a good idea, just in case you need to get in touch with someone in an emergency.
If you have not met with your loved one’s care team, you may want to work out a way to do that. A patient’s clinician is incredibly helpful when you are determining what sort of assistance a family member most needs. If the patient has serious health issues, having a working relationship with their doctor’s office ensures that you are up to date.
There’s a lot of help that you can provide from far away, but that doesn’t take the place of hands-on assistance when that’s what’s needed. Elder care providers can handle daily tasks. If your loved one is concerned about being able to age in place, home care services can help them to do that much more readily than either of you might realize.
When you’re not in the same area as a family member, it’s important that you’re as familiar as possible with resources in their area. Being able to match up your loved one’s needs with resources is important for them, but also for your peace of mind. These resources can offer help with transportation, meals, and more.
Being a long-distance caregiver can be a huge challenge, but with the right tools in place you and your loved one will both have what you need to make the situation work. Remember to keep an eye on what is beneficial and what is not, so that you can put new plans in place when necessary.
