When caring for an aging friend or relative from afar, it can be hard to know when your help is needed. Sometimes, your relative will ask for help. Or, the sudden start of a severe illness will make it clear that assistance is needed. But, when you live far away, some detective work might be necessary to uncover possible signs that support or help is needed.
Here are some things you can do:
- With the person's permission, you could contact people who see the person regularly—neighbors, friends, doctors, or local relatives, for example—and ask them to call you with any concerns.
- Arrange periodic visits with the person. While you're visiting, you can look for possible trouble areas. Make a list of trouble spots you want to check on—then, if you can't fix everything during your visit, see if you can arrange for someone else to finish up.
- Try to determine the older person's mood and general health status. Sometimes people confuse depression in older people with normal aging. A depressed older person might cheer up for a phone call or short visit, but it's harder to hide serious mood problems during an extended visit.
Visit our website for more information on long-distance caregiving.
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