How to Engage with and Care for the Elderly from Afar
As families adjust to social distancing in this time of coronavirus, you may be concerned about the safety and emotional well-being of your older relatives who live alone or in a different town. As we've all heard on the news, seniors who rely on home health care, assisted living facilities or transportation services are at an increased risk of exposure to illness. Here are some ideas to keep your elderly loved ones safe, secure, and connected while social distancing.
Take advantage of everyday automated systems
Automated systems increasingly play a bigger role in our everyday lives making it easier to overlook the impact they have. Things like automatic bill-pay or automatic prescription refills save us time and make our lives simpler. If the seniors in your life don’t use these things, encourage them to start as it may help them complete day-to-day tasks safely while maintaining their independence.
Consider having goods delivered directly to their doors, such as prescriptions, groceries or personal items to decrease their exposure to others who may be ill and alleviate the need to travel from store to store looking for cleaning supplies or toilet paper. Plus, this allows you to help from afar whether you're 30 or 3,000 miles away.
Other automated systems to consider are chair lifts for stairways, medical alert systems (like Life Alert® or the similar capability in the Apple Watch Series 4), wearable technology, and motion sensors or cameras if your loved one needs to be monitored for safety reasons. For more technological options regarding remote monitoring, check out this article by AARP. Keep in mind this technology may seem invasive so have a conversation with your loved one first to get the go-ahead.
Get their finances in order and keep records organized
Now is a good time to ask your favorite senior citizen if they have an estate plan and where to access it. While this can be an uncomfortable conversation, doing so ensures their wishes are followed and provides guidance to family members needing to make decisions. Be sure to address their will, durable financial power of attorney, and advanced medical directive. The services of a lawyer may be required to prepare these documents if they don't already exist.
It’s also important to keep a current list of your loved one’s medications. If a caregiver is involved, they should have that list too. You may even want to request access to your older relative’s medical information or bank accounts to better care for them. Don’t be surprised by potential roadblocks in the process of coordinating their medical care if you don’t have access under HIPAA guidelines.
Find help where you can
If your aging family member or friend has a specific medical condition, take time to learn as much as you can about it. This helps you better understand what kind of care they require now and anticipate their needs in the future. Consider sharing your caregiving responsibilities with others (perhaps your siblings if you are caring for a parent).
Alternatively, hiring a primary caregiver offers the in-person aid that may be necessary, which you can’t provide from afar. They can assist in making your loved one’s home safer, in regards to physical hazards or provide the perspective of an objective third party. If this is the best route for your family, we recommend having a back-up caregiver in case your original caregiver gets sick or takes a vacation.
Keep in virtual contact
If you can’t physically visit your aging relative, it may be a good time to introduce them to modern-day technology (if you haven’t already). If they don’t have a smartphone, consider giving them one and teaching them to use it. This task may require some patience on your part, but it could be a worthwhile bonding exercise for you and your loved one. Keep things simple and take it step-by-step so that they don’t become overwhelmed.
Teach them to use apps for video chatting or playing games with you. Some suggestions are:
FaceTime/Skype/Google Hangout
Words with Friends
Lumosity: Brain Games
Also, don’t forget good ole' fashioned phone calls! Schedule weekly chats so you both can feel connected socially and up-to-date with what’s going on in each other's lives. You could even go the extra mile and comment on a show they consistently watch to spark conversation. Some of our favorites are The Price is Right, Jeopardy, Dancing with the Stars, or The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Send a care package
Get creative! Send cards, hand-written letters, puzzle books, or arts and crafts from your children or younger relatives. Encourage other family members and friends to reach out during these times too. You never know, it might be the highlight of their day. Even if you are unable to see your loved one, you can still maintain a meaningful relationship.
For other special surprises, consider ordering a monthly subscription like BloomsyBox, which sends subscribers handpicked fresh flowers from eco-friendly farms or treats from around the world through Yummy Bazaar.