Caregiving from a long-distance presents many challenges. Here are 8 tips from the National Institute on Aging that may be helpful in your long-distance caregiving role.
- Know what you need to know as a long-distance caregiver. Learn as much as possible about your family member and resources that are available.
- Plan your visits with an aging parent or relative.
- Try to make time to do things unrelated to being a caregiver. Plan activities to do when visiting an aging parent or relative.
- Get in touch, and stay in touch. Set up teleconferences within doctors, assisted living facility team, or nursing home staff so that you can participate in conversations.
- Help an aging parent stay in contact from afar. Even having a private phone line in a nursing home room allows parents to stay in touch.
- Organize paperwork for an aging parent.
- Learn additional tips for caregiving.
- Gather a list of resources in your aging relative’s neighborhood.