Guest Blogger: Claire Wentz
No matter where life takes you, the bonds of family and responsibility remain. But the world is a massive place, and it can be hard to offer your loved ones affection from a distance, let alone take care of them. This can result in quite a dilemma, especially if there are seniors and other individuals in your family who need to be taken care of.
But, as they say, where there’s a will, there’s a way. And thankfully, we’re in a day and age when the technology and tools abound to overcome the challenges of long-distance caregiving.
Enlist assistance.
No doubt, the hardest thing about being away from a senior or a loved one in need is not being around physically to provide your own brand of care and assistance on a regular basis. Thankfully, this can be easily circumvented by hiring an in-home caregiver to provide the much-needed TLC that you’re unable to offer from afar. But of course, you’ll want to make sure to hire with care to find in-home help you can fully trust with your loved one.
Alternatively, you can also enlist the help of your neighbors and maybe even find a roommate to support a senior who’s aging in place. Not only is bringing in a roommate a great way to ensure that someone’s keeping an eye on your loved one and can easily take action in the event of an accident or medical emergency, but it also guarantees that they will feel less lonely and isolated. It’s also a great way to save money on living costs, so it’s definitely a win-win situation.
Shop for their needs.
Now, despite not being around in the same zip code, state, or even country as your loved one, it’s truly a marvel of modern technology that you can provide for many of their needs. The answer is, of course, online shopping. Just a few clicks, and you can already have groceries, medicines, supplements, clothing, and so much more heading straight to your loved one’s doorstep. Best of all, you don’t even need a credit card anymore to get this done with so many alternative payment options now offered by most retailers.
And yes, most, if not all, of your most trusted retailers now have an online presence and delivery services. Case in point, Costco delivers on the same day for orders above $35 in most major cities. It’s a good idea, therefore, to sign up your loved one for their meal or grocery services, so they can always rely on getting fresh food regularly and, in turn, keep up their health.
Stay connected.
Of course, let’s not forget how the internet is now making it possible to regularly communicate with loved ones long distance without sky-high phone bills. Better yet, almost every call and messaging app and social media network offer video calling now. It’s truly the next best thing to being in the same room as your nearest and dearest, and taking the time to schedule calls and really make use of the power of this technology will mean so much to them.
Schedule visits.
Finally, even with all the tools and resources that you can use, there’s still no real substitute for your physical presence. For this reason, make it a point to regularly take time off your busy schedule and pay your loved ones a visit.
Easier said than done, one might argue, especially with the cost of travel. However, with a bit of savvy and determination, you can, in fact, leverage the internet to get the best deals on flights, car rentals, and the like. And when you witness the joy that the gesture brings to those loved ones who need your care the most, you’ll undoubtedly find that it’s money well spent.
Caring for a loved one from afar is more than doable, despite the challenges that you might foresee. It’s a big world, yes, but it has also become smaller, in a way, so take advantage of that to bridge the gap.
Comments