Are you concerned about your elderly parents or loved one living alone, and you can’t offer hands-on assistance? Whether it’s due to the social distancing requirements of the COVID-19 Pandemic, or because you live far away, taking care of parents remotely can be challenging.
While each person has different requirements, here is a simple guide to assist you with remote senior care. Read on to learn more.
1. Parents Using Technology
These days, there are plenty of gadgets and applications that can assist you in remote elderly care for your parents. You can use GPS service apps to keep track of their locations and whereabouts or install virtual assistants such as Google Home devices.
This virtual assistance can remind them about medication and appointments and assist with things like turning off lights and controlling the TV. Apps such as Red Panic Button gives your parents access to an alert button that sends messages to specific contacts if they are in an emergency or need help.
In addition, you can place devices that provide medical alert services for seniors such as Around The Clock Medical Alarms in their homes for peace of mind.
2. Frequent Video Calls
During the corona virus pandemic, video calls boomed. Now that things have slowly started to ease, this is a habit that you should keep up with.
Frequently checking in with your parents via video call will help keep up their spirits and mental health, and it will give you insight into how they are really doing. Video is important to monitor things like weight loss, hygiene, or physical symptoms of illness.
3. Book Their Appointments Online
If you’re concerned about your parent forgetting to make appointments or neglecting it completely, you can take control. Nowadays, most doctor’s appointments are booked online.
You can organize appointments and even reserve a cab to pick up your parent and drop them back at home on the day of the appointment.
4. Deliver Groceries and Meals
It’s important that your elderly loved one is eating healthy and nutritious meals and getting enough calorie intake. But how can you monitor this from afar? You can start by ordering groceries and healthy ready-made meals online to be delivered to their homes. This way you can assist with meals without being there.
5. Get Help
Depending on your parent’s situation, you may gain peace of mind by seeking help. This could be an informal caregiver who is a friend or relative and can pop in for a visit as a companion.
Or maybe your parents require special assistance and professional senior care. In this case, hiring a professional caregiver is a good option. You don’t want to wait until something terrible happens, such as a bad fall, before you recruit an extra pair of hands.
6. Assisted Living
Remote care of a senior citizen becomes impossible when they need around the clock care. It’s important to evaluate your parents’ needs as they evolve. Assisted living is the next step for elderly people who cannot care for themselves, especially those afflicted with dementia or other chronic health problems.
Take your time in finding a good assisted living facility and keep your parents involved in every step of the process.
The Challenge of Taking Care of Parents From a Distance
In an ideal world, there wouldn’t be a pandemic and distance as further obstacles to the already challenging process of caring for elderly loved ones. However, there are steps you can take to assist in taking care of parents from afar.
The Senior Learning Institute can assist with advice and resources to help you at this time. We are committed to unbiased information and trustworthy resources. Contact us today to discuss the options for your senior parents’ care.