If you are a long distance caregiver, your visit home for the holidays can tell you a lot about whether your elderly loved ones need additional assistance. Here are some signs of decline to watch for during your visit:
- Changes in personal hygiene
- Clothing that is worn or inappropriate for the season
- Bills or mail stacking up
- Old food in the refrigerator; lack of fresh food
- Dropped pills
- Medications in disarray
- Damage to the car
- Lost or inoperative hearing aids
- Broken glasses or prescription out of date
- Home maintenance issues and cleanliness problems
- Voicemail or answering machine full
- Pets not adequately cared for
If you find some of these signs, it’s time to find ways to help your loved ones.
How to help
One way to help is to hire a professional geriatric care manager and or daily money manager like the ones at Care is There.
At Care is There Geriatric Care Management, our care managers, daily money managers, and Aging Life Care associates will meet with your parents personally to assess their situation, to review your concerns – and theirs – and develop a plan that works for everyone.
Whether or not you decide to hire a care manager, you will want to increase your own knowledge about what to expect as a long distance caregiver. In our course, “The Pro Guide to Becoming a Successful Long Distance Caregiver”, we do just that. We also offer personal coaching to answer questions about your specific situation.
Do you need help managing the care of an elderly loved one in Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Staunton, or Waynesboro, Virginia?
Contact us at Care is There Geriatric Care Management 800.434.1633 or info@careisthere.com. We offer geriatric care management, support for independent living, assisted living enhancement, Aging Life Care™ services, and peace of mind for long distance caregivers.
AGING LIFE CARE™ is a trademark of the Aging Life Care Association. Only ALCA members are authorized to use this term to identify their services. See the Team page of CareisThere.com for a list of our associates, and look for the Aging Life Care logo on the bio pages of our ACLA members.
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