Caring For Aging Parents Long Distance - 8 Tips to Make Your Life Easier

If you're not just a hop-skip-and-a-jump away from Mom or Dad, you can still find an elder care solution that gives your parent independence and gives you peace of mind. Here are eight ways to make long-distance care easier:

1. Be ready - If you need to consult with Mom's doctor over the phone or through email, make sure you have important information at hand. When caring for aging parents, get the contact info for their family doctor, specialists, and pharmacists, as well as a list of the medications your loved one is taking. You may also want a copy of your parent's medical history.

2. Give your parent the info they need - Provide a printed sheet-in large print, if necessary-with important phone numbers, including those for doctors, pharmacies, and emergency personnel. Make sure it's posted near a phone and is easily visible.

3. Make copies of critical documents - From a will to a power-of-attorney, make duplicates of important documents, so you have easy access to the information you need when a caring for aging parents.

4. Have a back up plan - Part of any effective elder care solution is knowing how you'll deal with the unexpected. What happens if your planned trip to drive your mother-in-law to the specialist is derailed by a car repair? Enlist family and friends to act as backups for times when you can't be there for your parent.

5. Use technology - Your elder care solution should include the use of technology that makes life easier for you and your loved one. Consider investing in pill dispensers that provide audio and visual reminders or devices that automatically shut off a stove. Elder care solutions might become even easier in the future-tech companies are developing robots that would be stationed in a senior's home. A doctor, family member or other caregiver would be able to see and communicate with the elderly through a camera and a microphone mounted on the device.

6. Give mom the tools she needs - When caring for aging parents, invest in whatever tools your loved one needs to get through the day. Does Dad have arthritis? Purchase an automatic can opener. Is the glare from night driving too much for your mother? One elder care solution is to purchase glare-reduction glasses.

7. Take advantage of local resources - Contact an agency on aging in your parent's neighborhood. These groups can connect you to Meals on Wheels and other resources that provide help for families separated by distance. If there isn't an aging agency nearby, look for resources through local churches or community groups.

8. Consider hiring an in-home care service - These companies are the must-have elder care solution for many out-of-town adult children. In-home care companies will provide assistance with the everyday tasks dad might need help with-from grocery shopping to shaving. Some services will even offer companionship, such as playing poker with your dad or reading to your mom.