Kindness, love & loyalty are a few of the many traits that are necessary when providing care for a loved one, especially long distance care giving.
If you’re like most family caregivers, you might feel you’re not ready, there’s still too much for you to learn before you actually start giving care. Yet, you care deeply about your family members and would do anything to help them –no matter how far away they are. I know, it sounds like the end to a clichéd retirement commercial: your loved one has given up an important routine aspect of their life and need you to step in and aid them.
If you haven’t been a primary caretaker before, you’ll find out that it’s a full time job. Don’t get discouraged though, there are details that can be taken care of to make the situation less stressful and allow you to be present for you loved one, even when you’re not physically there.
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Also, you are not alone. There are many caregivers who live more than an hour’s travel away. And it’s normal to feel anxiety and pressure when you’re not close to your loved one to be there whenever the need arises.
The good news is that you don’t have to become a nursing expert, a superhero, or a saint in order to be a good caregiver. With the right help and support, you can be a great caregiver without having to sacrifice yourself in the process. There are things you can do to better prepare for care giving emergencies, and ease the burden of responsibility.
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Here are 3 tips to help you:
- Schedule regular communication with your loved one. A daily email, text message, or quick phone call can let your relative know that they’re not forgotten and can give you peace of mind.
- Set up an alarm system for your loved one. Because of the distance between you, you won’t be able to respond in time to a life-threatening emergency, so subscribe to an electronic alert system. Your loved one can wear the small device and can use it to summon immediate help.
- Manage doctor and medical appointments. Try to schedule all medical appointments together, at a time when you’ll be in the area. Take time to get to know your loved one’s doctors and arrange to be kept up-to-date on all medical issues via the phone. Your relative may need to sign a privacy release to enable their doctors to do this.
J. Dietrich Stroeh is author of Three Months: A Caregiving Journey from Heartbreak to Healing (2012 FolkHeart Press). http://www.threemonthsbook.com
Eldercare link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elderly_care
