Taking care of an aging parent from far away is a challenging task. Discover effective tips and strategies to take good care of your parents even from a distance.

Being a caregiver is already a tough road to travel. However, if you are a long-distance caregiver, you are in it for a very rough ride. Research suggests that long-distance caregivers experience 47% more emotional distress than caregivers who live with their care recipient. It is due to the pressure and guilt caregivers experience when they need to take care of their parents while living a sizable distance away.

Long-distance caregiving is an emotionally sensitive journey. In this blog, we will share effective strategies to provide high-quality senior care in India, regardless of the distance.

Remote Caregiving - Effective Ways to Support Aging Parents from Afar

Embrace Technology

Today, technology has become an important medium that helps us take care of parents across distances. You can:

  • Connect with your parents regularly via messaging and video calling platforms.

  • Install medication reminder apps on your loved one’s smartphone to ensure they take their medicines on time as per the prescribed dosage.

  • Have a shared online calendar with your parents to keep track of their medical appointments and important events.

  • Set up home monitoring devices that enable you to provide immediate assistance in situations of crisis, such as when a loved one has taken a fall.

Take Care of all Financial and Legal Obligations

Starting the conversation around legal and financial matters may seem awkward at first, but it is important to maintain transparency around these areas. This in turn will help you stay informed about upcoming payments, bills, insurance coverage, etc. without causing budgetary strain.

  • Collect the legal and financial documents such as wills, insurance papers, powers of attorney, etc., and ensure that they are up to date before putting them in a single place.

  • Set up payment reminders to ensure that all medical, house care and other bills are taken care of without delays.

Create a Team of Helpers

While you can handle financial matters remotely, you must have a group of helpers to keep you informed and be ready to assist your parents with their day-to-day needs.

  • Ask your friends, neighbors, or family members to check up on your parents at least once a day.

  • Delegate day-to-day tasks to your team (depending on their willingness or ability to help). These tasks can be as basic as mowing the lawn, delivering groceries, etc., or as important as driving to doctor’s appointments, refilling medications, etc.

  • Hire professionals to clean the house, take care of laundry, deliver regular meals (if needed), etc.

Supporting Loved Ones from a Distance

Long-distance caregiving can leave you emotionally drained with feelings of both guilt and helplessness about not being physically present to take care of your loved ones. But by following the above strategies, you can take good care of your parents and be their consistent pillar of strength even from afar.