Archive

Posts Tagged ‘homecare. elderly care’

Making the Most of Long Distance Caregiving

April 27th, 2010 1 comment

Long distance caregiving poses some unique challenges, as it is difficult to physically check-in on your loved one in their own home. Instead, you must rely on periodic visits and the reports of others. However, there are solutions to most concerns.

Concern: Your loved one cannot leave home to go grocery shopping or has a habit of buying junk food.

Solution: Help your elderly family member set up an online account at a grocery store, so he can order from home and have his groceries delivered. You can even order for him if you’d prefer to choose the food items yourself. If you’d rather order pre-made meals DineWise delivers meals nationwide. They have options for people on special low-calorie, low-fat, or low-sodium diets. This is the perfect solution for diabetics or those with high cholesterol.

Concern: Your loved one isn’t getting the most out of his doctor’s appointments.

Solution: Ask your loved-one to sign a release form the next time he is at the doctor’s office, so you can have access to his medical files and permission to talk to the doctor about confidential information. This way, you can speak with the doctor before or after an appointment to discuss your loved one’s treatment plan. Another solution is to schedule doctor’s appointments when you are going to be in town, so you can accompany your elderly family member. This way, you can talk to the doctor in person and let him know of any problems you have observed.

Concern: Your loved one does not want to move, but you don’t believe he is safe enough to live at home.

Solution: First, you can ask neighbors to stop by and say hi, just to make sure everything is ok. If you’d prefer a more thorough, technological approach, you can have a monitoring system installed. A remote monitoring system can be programmed to have a live video feed. It can also be used to set alarms, adjust the lighting, and change the temperature. It helps create the ultimate piece of mind for a long distance caregiver. If you are more concerned about your loved one getting injured or having a medical emergency, a Medical Alert System. The system includes a panic button; when pressed, the button prompts a separate unit to call a live dispatcher. The dispatcher can then send whatever help is needed. The button itself can be worn as a pendent, watch, or on a belt clip.

Long distance caregiving isn’t easy, but technology has made it simpler than ever. The products designed for home care have made a huge impact on many people’s lives and will continue to do so.

Looking to find the best deal on home caregiving products, then visit www.HomeCaregiverStore.com to find the best selection of senior care products for your long distance caregiving needs.