“It’s not easy living far away from an aging parent. You’re never quite sure you have the whole picture. Let us be your eyes and ears so you can gain an informed perspective on your loved one’s strengths, and the areas where they need more support. Our services include making recommendations for the best providers in the area and then coordinating that care ongoingly.”
—Melanie Oliver, MA, LNHA, LALA, CDCP, CCM
Do you live far away from an aging parent? Is your main contact by phone or over zoom? Worried there are issues they aren’t mentioning?
One out of 7 family caregivers lives over an hour away from the person they care for. They are stretched very thin as they try to diligently support a relative that needs help, while also maintaining their on-going responsibilities to job, children, spouse and their own health needs.
- They perpetually feel guilty, that they are not doing enough.
- They are frustrated by an elder care system that does not make it easy to find elder care support—even if you live in the same town, let alone much further away.
- They are exhausted, and sometimes financially strapped, having to take time off work and travel back and forth to handle one issue or another with their aging loved one.
Does this sound like your situation?
Let us be your guide.
We can
- Give you a report on your relative’s strengths, and those areas where they need more support
- Help the entire family understand what’s going on
- Recommend nearby services (the best home care, the best assisted living…)
- Provide guidance for how to pay for care, including veterans’ benefits.
- Serve as an emergency advocate if your loved one has a sudden fall or illness
If you would like help caring for a parent long distance, give us a call at 252-450-5731 or schedule a free 30 minute initial consultation.
Safety assessment
In a visit that lasts about an hour and a half, we can determine the safety of the situation. If you want us to do formal tests, we can. But most families prefer a more casual approach. They introduce us as a friend that is close by and can come in to help since they live far away and can’t get there very quickly. Sometimes they frame our services as a “gift” they are giving their parent, similar to getting them a housekeeper to come in now and then. Whatever the context, by the end of the visit, we have developed a rapport of warmth and trust that allows us to continue coming by just to check in, or to assist with on-going care.
During our assessment we look at a wide range of issues, for instance:
- Does your relative seem safe at home?
- Is there concern about memory or cognitive impairment?
- Are they able to keep up with treatments for medical conditions?
- Are there home modifications that could prevent falls?
- Do they seem to be able to shop and prepare meals?
- Are they overwhelmed with the demands of housework, or paying bills?
- What are their disaster preparedness plans in case of a hurricane?
- Are they socially isolated?
We can provide you with a written report, or just go over our recommendations orally. Then you can choose what you would like to do yourselves, and what you would like us to do for you.
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Family meetings
Long distance families hire our services so they can have an objective and knowledgeable professional report to the family as a whole. We work with many military families, for instance, where Wilmington was a favorite posting. Perhaps your parents moved back here for retirement, but the rest of you now live elsewhere.
We can conduct a zoom meeting so everyone has a chance to get the initial information all at the same time and weigh in about their concerns. Together we can strategize about best options for care, now, and in the foreseeable future. Certainly, we are very aware of veteran benefits and can help you take maximum advantage of those.
If you elect to have us provide care on-goingly, we will give you periodic updates, especially if we notice a meaningful change in physical health, mental abilities, or emotional state. You can rely upon us to be your eyes and ears and let you know how things are going.
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Medical advocacy
Dealing with emergencies long distance can be frightening.
This is why many families choose to hire us to be on call 24/7 in case there is an emergency such as a fall, a stroke, or a sudden event that results in a dash to the emergency room. With this program, we go to the Emergency Room and serve as a patient advocate for your relative. We can advise the doctors concerning medical history and help your loved one understand the treatment options. We include you in the communication loop and can make suggestions regarding the best time to plan to travel here. (It could be that your relative will need you more after discharge than they do in the hospital.)
To begin with, we help assemble the forms your relative needs to have available in case of an emergency. For instance:
- a list of current medications
- a list of current conditions
- a list of their doctors
- their health care power of attorney
- their advance directive
If you want us to be on call, we update this paperwork quarterly and are available 24/7 to meet your loved one in the Emergency Room. Once we arrive at the ER, our time is then billed at our hourly rate.
Preventing crises with good management
Some families like to have us involved with the doctors earlier so we can prevent crises before they arise. We can be sure the doctors are addressing the situation and that your loved one has a treatment plan they can follow. If taking medication properly, is an issue, for example, we might harness technology for better medication management. We could arrange for an automated medication dispenser, or pre-packaged prescriptions with all the pills clustered for morning, noon and night.
You don’t have to manage the medical situation by yourself!
Let an expert in aging step in and give you the overview and support you and your loved one deserve so you can rest easy that everything that can be done is being done.
Give us a call at 252-450-5731
Or schedule a free initial consultation
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