It can be quite a surprise to get a call from your elderly family member or from another family member letting you know that your aging adult needs much more help than you knew. That can mean that you’re now her primary caregiver but from a distance.
Find out What You Can Do to Be Most Helpful Right Now
Talk to your elderly family member about what is going on right now for her. What is it that you can do immediately to give her the most help possible? It might be that she needs you to be there in person for a short period of time.
Or she might need short-term help with household tasks or meal preparation.
Educate Yourself about Your Aging Adult’s Health Issues
Your next step is to gain as much knowledge as you can about your elderly family member’s current and future health needs. The more information that you can gather, the stronger your plan for her care will be. Set up meetings, either virtual or in person, with your elderly family member’s medical team and anyone else who supports her.
Join a Support Group for Long-distance Caregivers
Speaking of support, you’re going to need more than you realize. There are a wide variety of support groups out there. You can even find some for long-distance caregivers. Meeting other caregivers just like yourself can help you to find solutions to problems and gain the emotional support that you need. You can attend online meetings or in-person meetings in your home area.
Find Local Resources
Start finding the agencies and groups that help senior citizens in your elderly family member’s area. They can help you with meal delivery and other issues that need hands-on help with your aging adult. There may also be local resources in your area that can help you, so it’s worth it to do a little bit of legwork. Hiring elder care providers is one way to make sure that your aging adult has the help when she needs it.
Schedule Visits When You Can
There’s no substitute for seeing your elderly family member as often as you can. Figure out how often you can make a visit to see her and keep those plans. This gives you a way to assess your senior’s needs periodically yourself.
As your elderly family member’s health changes, you may need to reassess whether you can continue to be a caregiver from afar.
If you or a family member are in need of hiring a caregiver in Coral Springs, FL, call the caring professionals at Star Multi Care today at (954) 870-4770.
Providing service in Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Weston, Southwest Ranches, Pembroke Pines, Cooper City, Lighthouse Point, and Wilton Manors.
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