Five Ways Long-Distance Families Can Help Aging Relatives

When you live more than an hour away and your help is needed, these five steps can ease the stress of overseeing from afar.
When you live more than an hour away and your help is needed, these five steps can ease the stress of overseeing from afar.
There’s a lot to consider when your senior chooses to age in place. In recent blogs we’ve explored many ways you can provide safe transportation, stay on top of home safety and maintenance, and help your senior avoid loneliness.
The medical, legal, and financial aspects of providing long-term care for an aging parent can be daunting. Over time, you may need to manage care costs that can easily exceed $50,000 a year, as well as make difficult medical and legal choices for your parent.
Maybe you’ve noticed that mom or dad is “starting to slip.” Or maybe they’ve had a health scare: a fall that didn’t break a hip, or flu that didn’t become pneumonia. Take a moment to breathe a sigh of relief. Then get ready to start planning for the future.
Be sure to take time to properly assess your care needs so you can make the best choice for your family when hiring an at-home caregiver for yourself or someone you love.
Making the transition from home to an assisted living community can be difficult for both you and your loved one. Many older adults are resistant to leaving their homes and the thought of getting settled and comfortable in a new environment can be daunting for all involved.
For seniors and their adult children, the family home may be a source of comfort, safety, and happy memories. So it’s easy to understand the appeal of aging in place. Still, your senior’s safety has to be your top priority. If you’re not sure whether your parent can be safe at home – let alone what you need to do to make it happen – start by asking these three questions.
We find ourselves glued to the events in Ukraine – and with hundreds of European caregivers on the LeanOnWe network, we know we’re not alone.
If your parents are older baby boomers, it’s probably time to start talking about their future living arrangements. Though your parent may feel protective of his independence and resist downsizing to a smaller home, doing so may actually allow him to live independently longer. Plus, downsizing typically has financial benefits too.
Memory loss is one of the most frequent complaints of aging adults and whether your memory loss is part of aging, or part of a more serious condition, it undeniably impacts quality of life.
If you care for an aging parent, you’ve probably put considerable effort into making sure her home is safe and she has appropriate medical care. You may also keep an eye on her nutrition and help her get some exercise. Of course you want to provide whatever she needs to be as healthy as possible. But have you thought about touch?
Many seniors want to age in place. With so many other aspects of their lives changing – due to declining health, decreased mobility, or dementia, for example – they long for the familiarity of their homes and neighborhoods. Shopping in the same stores, visiting the same salon, or attending the same church or synagogue helps maintain a sense of normalcy during this uncertain period in their lives.