A significant percentage of American individuals will take care of their elderly parents at some point in their lives. There are different ways to help aging parents, though, and not all of them include living with them or even staying in the same place.
In the current environment, visiting your parents might be the last thing you want to do in order to keep them safe. The pandemic puts elderly individuals at high risk for hospitalization. You still want to care for them and be a part of their lives, though, so it’s important to find ways to care from a distance.
We’re going to talk through some options you have for improving your level of emotional and physical support from a distance. Let’s get started.
How to Care for Elderly Parents Remotely
The first step in establishing quality care from afar is finding the social network that’s there to support your parents. You might play a key role, but is there anyone else in your circle that would be willing to help?
Your siblings, children, cousins, or partners might be interested in helping in whatever way they can. Further, inquire into the interest of your parent’s friends and neighbors.
Just get a sense of the level of assistance that others might provide, and use those connections to enhance the level of care that you’re able to give. Even if your parent is in a retirement home, they still need the attention and support of their family and social circle.
Take The Lead on Technology
If your parents aren’t very tech-savvy, do your part to set them up with everything they need to stay in touch from a distance. Zoom calls, messenger apps, video calls, and even phone calls with smartphones can be challenging for some seniors.
Those options add a great deal to the quality of life that a person has when they’re otherwise alone. Talking with friends and family is something that could actually improve an aging individual’s state of mind and overall health.
Be Proactive About Needs
If there’s something that your parent expresses a need for, see to it that the need gets met as soon as possible. That might mean stopping by the facility from time to time to make sure that your parent is well taken care of and comfortable.
In some cases, you might have to spearhead the adjustments that they need. For example, flip open a grab bar guide and see what kind of unit your parent might need. You might even be able to install it if you’re handy.
Those kinds of things add up and improve the aging individual’s quality of life a great deal.
Need More Ways to Care for Parents?
Hopefully, our look at different ways to help aging parents was useful to you. If you have elderly parents and you’re in need of a few more ideas, we’re here to help.
Explore our site for more ideas on helping aging parents, staying healthy, improving your lifestyle, and much more.