You might still be able to help your elderly or ill loved one even though you aren’t next door or in the same house. Being a long-distance family caregiver has unique challenges, but with planning and support, it can be done.
Prepare Your Loved One’s Home for Long-Distance Caregiving
There are a few things you can do – either during a visit or with the help of a professional in-home caregiver – to ensure your loved one’s surroundings are as safe as possible. Doing this preparation as soon as possible can reduce many of the risks for seniors aging in place and give you some peace of mind even though you can’t be there with them all the time.
Organize the Home to Prevent Falls
According to the CDC, falls are the number one cause of injuries and death from injury among older Americans, with nearly one in four seniors reporting taking a fall every year. Thirty-seven percent of those who were injured in a fall required medical attention.
A fall can mark the end of independence for a senior, so the goal should be to take steps to prevent falls in and around the home.
Either during a visit or with the help of a professional caregiver, work with your loved one to do the following:
- Remove clutter that can be tripped over or fall over on someone.
- Remove throw rugs that slip or can be tripped on.
- Tuck electrical cords away so they can’t become tangled in feet, canes, or walkers.
- Ensure that frequently used items – such as bed and bath linens or certain appliances – are stored at a height that they can reach easily (and don’t require a ladder to get to).
- Add night-lights in hallways and bathrooms.
- Create a place to store outdoor tools so that they’re not left in walkways.
Set up a Medication Management System
Side effects from some medications can increase the chances of a fall or other health complications in older adults. As a caregiver, you cannot predict or prevent all possible adverse interactions to new medications or their side effects, but you can speak with your loved one’s pharmacist and help them keep track of their medications to reduce the chance of missing or accidentally doubling doses.
Here are a few more things a long-distance caregiver can do to help their loved ones with their medications:
- During a visit, ask if you can be part of an appointment with your loved one’s healthcare provider to learn about possible medication interactions, side effects, and instructions.
- Create a list of all medications and supplements that your loved one takes and make sure they take it with them when they have a check-up.
- There are also medication management systems to help your loved one keep their meds organized.
- Sign up for a service like Homewatch Connect via our Total Care Solutions™ program. This system includes medication reminders as well as several other safety monitoring options.
Install a Safety System and Monitoring
While a home should be a place of safety and comfort, all homes require regular maintenance and updated safety features. It can be as simple as changing batteries in a carbon monoxide sensor, but it also includes tasks such as installing and activating safety monitoring systems. While this is an important step for any situation, it’s absolutely vital if you’re long-distance caregiving for someone with dementia.
You can also take the proper measures to safeguard your loved ones’ home from fires, carbon monoxide poisoning, extreme temperatures, smoke inhalation, and other dangers. A fire can start in the kitchen or due to faulty appliances, so experts recommend an evacuation plan be put in place just in case a quick escape is needed. To prevent the chances of a fire, contact a local expert to do a safety check of all appliances and their power sources.
Scheduling seasonal maintenance for your loved one’s HVAC system can also keep them safe during heat waves and cold snaps. Smart thermostats can alert you if your loved one’s heating or cooling isn’t functioning as it should, and you can know to call for emergency HVAC service.
Homewatch Connect™ can also provide alerts with temperature and environmental monitoring, ensuring that you will be alerted when an issue is detected.
Make Sure Your Loved One Can Get Help in an Emergency
Even with all of the preventions in place, there can still be an accident in the home. This is when getting help immediately is of the utmost importance. Even if your elderly parent has switched from a landline to a smartphone, do they take it with them from room to room?
A PERS (Personal Emergency Response System) is a waterproof pendant that can be worn on the wrist or around the neck so that help is just a click of a button away. Not only are local authorities alerted when the button is activated, but so are family members such as long-distance caregivers, who can communicate with everyone involved.
This is another way Homewatch Connect™ can help. The system is alerted to sounds like crashing or calls for help, immediately connecting your loved one to medical services and notifying you as well.
Long-Distance Caregiving Tips
Once your loved one’s home is safe and monitoring has been set up, here are some tips for navigating daily life as a long-distance caregiver:
- Set up systems such as bill autopayments to help your loved one handle their finances.
- Check in regularly about their home. Is everything working right? Have they noticed anything like dripping faucets or slow drains that should be addressed by a professional?
- Establish ties with someone near your loved ones who you trust and ask if they’re willing to help. This person can check in and make sure they’re doing well and that their home is safe. An in-home caregiver is a great option here, as well, since they’ll know what to look for.
- Communicate with your loved one as often as possible. Calls and texts just to say hello and ask how they’re doing can help them feel less isolated and give you peace of mind as well.
- If they’re not able to do so, order groceries, medicine, and other medical supplies for your loved one and have them delivered.
- Coordinate home maintenance tasks such as lawn mowing and snow removal.
Reliable Help for Long-Distance Caregivers
Preventing accidents and injuries in the home can help a loved one remain independent in their beloved home much longer. It can also allow them to remain engaged in the life they are familiar with and enjoy. And a caregiver doesn’t have to be under the same roof to help make this happen. With the right tools and systems in place, remote caregiving can be extremely impactful and meaningful for both the caregiver and the recipient.
Whether you’re caring for aging parents long-distance or helping a loved one with a chronic illness continue to live independently, we can help. Contact us today or call 888-404-5191 to schedule a free consultation.
