Make Long-Distance Care Easier with Our Senior Home Care Services in Calgary
Do you live an hour or more away from the senior loved one you care for? If you do, you fall into the long-distance caregiver category.
Caring for your senior loved one when they live far away from you can raise a number of concerns. You might find yourself constantly wondering if they’ve remembered to take their medicine on time. Are they getting enough physical exercise? Are they maintaining a balanced diet? Do they feel lonely? Can they safely navigate their home?
Although modern technology has made it easier than ever before to stay in touch, it can be hard to know exactly how your senior loved one is doing on a day-to-day basis through just texts, calls, and video chat. On top of that, the fear of being a burden on their loved ones can stop seniors from being completely honest about their struggles with daily activities when asked.
What can you do to make sure your senior loved one is safe, comfortable, and well cared for in their own home, even when you’re not nearby? Here are some tips for senior care in Calgary and beyond that will help you manage your loved one’s care long-distance, alongside some insight into how Foothills Home Services can help with your senior loved one’s care needs.
Are visits part of your senior care strategy?
During in-person visits, it’s important to make sure you spend quality time with your senior loved one. There are many ways you can enjoy your time together; you could go out for a meal or stay in and join your senior loved one in their hobbies, to name a few ideas. In addition to that, in-person visits are also the perfect opportunity to assess how your senior loved one is doing and check for signs that your senior loved one needs additional help at home. Here are a few signs you should be on the lookout for when visiting your senior loved one:
A decline in personal hygiene
An inadequately maintained home
Memory problems
A change in appearance
Mood changes and different behaviour
Compromised movement and bruises, cuts, or scrapes
Attending key appointments with your senior loved one and sitting down to speak with them face-to-face can often offer more insight than a phone call can. Making the most of your visits with your senior loved one as described above can benefit their well-being and help improve the senior care they receive.
Sometimes long-distance caregivers feel guilty about not being able to visit their senior loved ones as often as they would like to. It’s been said that long-distance caregivers report higher emotional distress than caregivers who live with the care recipient or live closer to them.
Arranging home care services for your senior loved one can give you peace of mind, as you’ll know they are receiving the home care assistance they need even when you are apart. Foothills Home Services’ professional and caring caregivers can help with a range of daily activities including meal preparation, medication administration, and bathing assistance. If you’d like to explore the home care options available for your senior loved one, check out the services we offer.
How to use technology as part of your senior care strategy
In between visits, technology can help you stay connected with your senior loved one, offer them support, and stay in the loop about how things are going.
Handle senior care tasks from afar
There are many senior care tasks you can take care of without being there in person. You can pay bills, schedule timely medication deliveries, arrange transportation, and even coordinate appointments online and/or over the phone! By taking care of these senior care tasks, you can alleviate some of the stress you may be feeling, and make things a little easier for your senior loved one.
Stay in touch - communication is important in senior care!
Older adults in Canada are more likely to experience loneliness. Regular communication through texts, phone calls, and video chat can be a great boost to your senior loved one’s mental health. Regularly and consistently connecting with your senior loved one is a great way to provide emotional support and check on their well-being when you’re apart.
Foothills Home Services provides trained and compassionate caregivers who not only assist with daily tasks but also prioritize senior companionship while delivering our home care services to support your senior loved one’s physical and emotional well-being. As part of our home care services, we can also help keep you informed about your senior loved one's overall health, mood, and any changes in behavior.
Constantly evaluate senior care needs
When it comes to providing long-distance care for seniors, constantly evaluating their home care needs becomes an essential task for ensuring their well-being, happiness, and safety. Thanks to our decades of experience providing senior home care services in Calgary and beyond, we understand the unique challenges faced by families living far away from their senior loved ones.
The physical and cognitive conditions of seniors can change over time, meaning frequent assessments of their care needs and adjustments to their senior care plans need to be made. However, for families who live far from their senior loved ones, frequent in-person visits may not be possible. By constantly evaluating your senior loved one’s care needs, our professional caregivers can ensure that they receive appropriate support and home care assistance to maintain their independence and quality of life.
Long-distance caregivers may face difficulties in recognizing subtle changes in their loved one's behavior or health, leading to delayed care interventions. Through our continuous evaluation of senior care needs as part of our home care services in Calgary and beyond, we bridge the geographical gap by providing regular check-ins, monitoring health conditions, and promptly addressing any concerns that arise.
Could you use support with senior care in Calgary and beyond?
We're here to make long-distance care easier for you and your loved ones. Foothills Home Services offers compassionate senior home care services in Calgary, Okotoks, High River, Chestermere, Airdrie, Strathmore, Black Diamond, Turner Valley, Nanton, Blackie, and Vulcan. Feel free to reach out to our team for more information about how we can assist you. Let us help bring comfort and peace of mind to your family.
