How to Help Aging Parents When You Live Far Away

As we age, it is important for us to remember that our parents are aging too.  In many cases, your parents may not have the benefit of all of their children living close by when they start to show signs of needing extra help around the house. This can make things hard when their health starts to decline and you are miles away. Health problems can bring on stress and anxiety and having a caring and reliable support team is critical.

It can be difficult to even know where to start when it comes to making sure your aging parents are taken care of but here are a few tips that might help.

Stay in touch

This is the first place to start. Keeping in touch with mom or dad is important. They may not want to admit they may be at a point in their life where they  need some extra help, so by staying in touch you’re able to see firsthand how they are doing. You may notice that they have started to forget things you tell them – or maybe they don’t go out in the community like they used to. This might mean it is time to pay them a visit to see how things are going.

Encourage them to go out and spend time with friends or community members. This will allow them to have their own local support system for when you’re not around. It will also be easier on you knowing that they have a people around who care about them when you can’t always be there. If they have a group of people who they meet with regularly, their friends might also be able to help spot changes in your parents health that you might not know about otherwise.

Attend important appointments with them

Staying on top of your parent’s health is a top priority. The more you know about their needs the better assistance you’ll be able to provide. It doesn’t hurt to go with your parents to their doctors appointments. You can hear everything the doctor has to say and take note of ways you can help make their lives a little bit easier.

If attending every appointment is not an option due to distance, consider going to the important ones – or even having a caregiver go in your place.

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Make home adjustments

Something as simple as removing area rugs or door mats can make a difference in improving your parents mobility around their house. If getting around is something they struggle with, it may be a good idea to look into adding additional handrails – especially in the bathroom.

Other adjustments you can make include moving commonly used items to lower shelves, keeping walkways clear of clutter, or replacing appliances with adaptive versions (for example, a walk-in bathtub). The more preventative measures you can take to reduce the likelihood of a fall, the better.

Hire a caregiver

Companies like Acti-Kare Responsive In-Home Care can provide licensed caregivers to come in and help your parents perform everyday tasks around their home.

The caregivers are trained to work with people with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Cancer, and many other diseases. They can help with meal preparation, grocery shopping, medication management, transportation to appointments, bathing, grooming, or even just provide companionship.

By having a caregiver, your parents will be able to continue to do the things they enjoy with just a little help from someone else – but most importantly, it will allow them to stay in their own home and stick to their routine as much as possible as their health may be starting to decline.

Teach them how to use technology

More and more seniors are starting to use Facebook to stay in touch with friends and family. By teaching your parents to utilize these tools, you can make it easier to stay in touch with them.

Not only are social media outlets a great resource for seniors, but some smart home products could prove to be extremely helpful also. Smart cameras, wearable technology, or smart appliances are all things that could make everyday life easier for aging parents.

Remember, you are not alone!

Above all, creating a support team and taking precautions early on will make things a little bit easier down the road. According to the U.S. Census, there are over 48 million people in the United States who are above the age of 65 and that number is only going to increase over the next few decades. Start early and educate yourself – you’ll be glad you did!

Acti-Kare Home Care in Fredericksburg, Virginia provides FREE in-home consultations, give us a call to schedule a time to discuss your options and see how we can meet your needs! (540)684-1598