Your job is in one city.

And your elderly loved one lives in another.

You want to be close to them so you can help them out but you are too far away.

What’s an adult child to do?

In today’s post, I will go over 5 things you can do to help your elderly parents from a distance.

How to help your elderly parents from a distance

Get help from a trusted source

Yes it these are your parents and I know this means you may have misgivings about having someone else help them.

However, if you work with caregivers and companions from companies like Green Tree Home Care, they will be in great hands.

To ease your concerns, make sure that the home care company you decide on has great ratings on places like Google and Yelp.

Read what people have to say-both good and bad.

There will always be the people who give a one star and are not happy about anything. So I recommend that you read one-star ratings with a grain of salt unless, a majority of the ratings can be found here.

Three and four-star reviews usually give you the best look at the company.

Look for a company that provides care transparency

At Green Tree Home Care we believe in care transparency.

We keep you up to date on how your loved one is doing using a secure website called Family Room.

Using Family Room, you can check schedules, see what your loved one has been up to during care sessions and even add any pertinent appointments to the schedule.

Using this technology, not only will you see exactly what kind of care your loved one is receiving. You will also be able to stay involved in their care.

Use technology to stay in touch daily

Yes, you cannot be there physically.

But video calling now makes it easier to “be” with your family even when you’re not around.

Tools like Zoom (available on Android, iPhone and desktop computers), Skype or Facetime (Apple devices) are excellent communication tools that will help you stay in touch and help your elderly parents from a distance.

Get friends and family involved

If you have friends and family who still live around your elderly parents, get them involved if it’s appropriate.

Friends and family who are not paid caregivers could:

• check on your parents to make sure they have everything they need
• check on them to make sure they are safe and alright
• send them meals when they are not well
• help with light house-keeping
• transport them to appointments

Help your parents hire a fiduciary

When it comes to taking care of parents who live far away, the issue of money always comes up.

If your parents saved up and are currently living on their retirement but are not fully able to handle their own finances, you can enlist a fiduciary to help.

A fiduciary is mandated by the state to help other people handle their financial assets.

Fiduciaries can also help with bill payments and make sure your parent is not behind on their payments as long as they have the one.

To read more about how a fiduciary can do for you and your loved ones, read this post.