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Let go of the guilt and find the help you need. Care-giving at a distance is possible if you stop feeling bad that you can’t be with your loved one twenty-four hours a day. Even if you live in another state, you can still be an effective caregiver if you take an active role in your loved one’s well-being and enlist the help of an assisted living facility.
Assisted living can provide your loved one the care and support they need on a daily basis. When your loved one is far away, you can’t offer the care they need on a daily basis. Assisted living communities can help your loved one with daily living activities and offer the supervision they need when you can’t be around.
Stay in Touch
Not only do you need to stay in touch with your loved one when caring at a distance, but you also need to stay in close contact with the professionals that work closely with your loved one in assisted living. By contacting them weekly, monthly or whenever you have time, you can learn more about the well-being of your loved one and stay up-to-date on things going on in the assisted living community.
By speaking with your loved one frequently, you can maintain a close relationship with them and still provide them the care you would give if you lived closer.
Find Community Resources
Get a copy of your loved one’s local phone book that lists resources in the neighborhood, for an easy guide to State and local services available in their hometown. Find a directory of senior resources and services by checking with a library or senior center.
Manage Medical Care
Pull together a list of prescriptions and over-the-counter medications, with doses and schedules. This information is essential in a medical emergency. Update it regularly. Make sure at least one family member has written permission to receive medical and financial information. Put together a notebook that includes all the vital information about health care, social services, contact numbers, and so on. Make copies for other caregivers.
Educate Yourself
Learn as much as you can about your loved one’s illness and treatment. Information can help you understand what is going on, anticipate the course of an illness, prevent crises, and assist in disease management. It can also make talking with the doctor easier.
Visit Often
While you may not be able to offer your loved one the undivided attention they need on a daily basis, you can plan trips to visit their assisted living facility often. By visiting as often as you possibly can, you can eliminate some of the guilty feelings you have while also providing care-giving responsibilities.
When you visit, try to make it exciting for your loved one by planning special outings or celebrations. Talk to your loved one about things going on in your life so they feel connected to you even when you are far away. Also, give them the opportunity to talk to you about things going on in their life.
According to AARP.com, approximately five million Americans are long-distance caregivers. Do your best by offering your loved one a safe place to live on a daily basis with a quality assisted living community.
Contact Brookdale Senior Living today to find an assisted living community near your loved one.
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