Thanks to our ever-connected world, you can
give them the gift of care despite all the distance between you. It’s hard to
be far apart, but thanks to technology, we can be together no matter where we
are. Here are a few great ways to be a caregiver from afar:
Help
Around the House
When you're an in-person caregiver, it's easy
to help your loved one with household chores and maintenance. Being far away
obviously makes this more challenging, but that doesn't mean you're at a loss.
Making slight home modifications and outsourcing services can be great ways to
help your senior loved one get the assistance they need.
For example, is your loved one’s laundry room
set up in the basement? Navigating stairs gets trickier (and more dangerous) with age, and lugging
laundry up and down the stairs can be risky. To eliminate this hazard, find a
way to have their washer and dryer installed on the first floor. You can also
install grab bars in the bathrooms, add improved
lighting and remove trip hazards like rugs and cords.
When it comes to their home’s exterior, is
your senior overwhelmed by spring and summer lawn maintenance and watering? In
addition to hiring a lawn care service, consider having sprinklers installed,
so they have one less thing to manage. In Oklahoma City, it averages around $2,644 to have this kind of system
installed. You can easily get online quotes from local firms to do the work.
Besides hiring services to help with nominal
tasks, consider setting your loved one up with grocery delivery. This can be
especially handy if they no longer drive and primarily use public
transportation. Most grocery stores these days offer delivery, and you can order everything
your loved one needs online and have it sent straight to their door.
Stay in
Touch
Long-distance caregivers often worry about
their loved ones feeling lonely, as older people often suffer from social isolation. Fortunately, staying in
touch in a variety of ways gives you and your loved one a sense of connection,
and helps prevent them from feeling like they’re all alone. Phone calls,
emails, and letters are all excellent ways to stay in touch. Also, if your
loved one doesn’t have a smartphone, consider setting your loved one up with a
tablet or video chat system so you can see each other
while you talk. This gives you both the chance to have a face-to-face
connection, and it can help you see for yourself if there are any problems like
a disheveled appearance or a messy home.
Get
Allies Nearby
Finally, staying in touch with your loved
one’s neighbors and nearby friends is an excellent
tool for the long-distance caregiver. Those who see your loved one in person
and even on a regular basis can help determine problems early on that you might
miss from afar. Ask your loved one to give your phone number to the neighbors
or some friends, and touch base with them regularly. They may be able to clue
you in if your loved one is experiencing property neglect or other signs that something bigger is going on.
Caring for someone from a distance can be
difficult, but there are plenty of ways to make it work. You will be amazed at
everything you can do for your loved one without being able to physically be
there. With the right game plan, you can be the caregiver you want to be, no
matter where you are.
Photo Credit: Unsplash
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