9 Ways Technology and Services Can Help Long-Distance Family Caregivers

Long-distance caregiving can be really challenging. When you’re not around to provide consistent and immediate assistance to a loved one who needs your help, it’s easy to feel a sense of guilt or worry over their wellbeing. Thankfully, technological advancements have made long-distance caregiving much more manageable. With the right tech tools and digital services, you can keep an eye on your loved one, monitor their health, stay in touch, and provide invaluable assistance from afar. Check out this article from Global Meals to learn how you can make the most of these innovations.

Tech Helps Seniors Stay Social

Seniors who have lost some of their mobility can start to feel lonely and isolated very quickly. Thankfully, technology can help your senior loved one stay in touch with friends and family, even if they live far away. Technology is also great for helping seniors both reconnect with old friends and meet new people. For example, you can use special search engines to look up your loved one’s former high school classmates from San Francisco and the surrounding area. Just type in the name and the person’s graduation date, and you can find contact information to pass on to your senior loved one. Reconnecting with friends from a bygone era can really enrich your loved one’s life.

Online Errand Services Support Caregivers

One of the hardest things about being a long-distance caregiver is that you can’t be around to help your loved one with their daily life challenges. Activities like taking the dog for a walk, grocery shopping, and cooking dinner can be very difficult for people with limited mobility. Get your loved one set up with some scheduled errand services to cover all of the tasks you would take care of if you lived closer. For example, Suddenly Senior suggests that seniors turn to innovative tech-based errand services for help with tasks like dog walking, grocery delivery, cooking, medication delivery, dentistry, and personal grooming.

Even though your loved one can have groceries delivered to their door, not everyone wants to cook every night. And for some people, cooking is simply not an option. If that’s the case, Global Meals can help. They provide fully prepared meals that are both delicious and nutritious to Columbus and Cleveland residents. They even offer kosher options. Look into this option for your family members who can no longer manage daily meal preparations.

Medication Reminders Improve Medication Adherence

If your senior loved one often forgets to take their medication, medication reminders are a fantastic solution. You can get handheld pill reminders, smartphone apps, and even pill dispensers that hold daily medications and notify caregivers if a dose is missed. Some smartphone apps also offer pharmacy services, allowing you to schedule regular medication deliveries each month and coordinate with your loved one’s doctor to ensure refills are never missed. With the help of these tools, you can finally stop asking your loved one if they took their medication every time you talk to them on the phone.

Services for Home Maintenance

There may be quite a few home maintenance tasks that your aging loved ones can no longer safely do themselves. For example, it may be dangerous for them to clean a slippery shower or crouch down to clean the floors or toilet. Those are tasks that can easily be outsourced through a house cleaning service. Even if your dad was a stickler about his yard looking perfect, it has likely seen greener days since maneuvering a lawn mower and handling pesticides are not the safest options. Look online for “​​grass fertilization near me” and screen a few local lawn care specialists until you find one that will be reliable and skilled in handling your loved one’s lawn care needs. That way, your family members can once again sit on the porch or in the backyard admiring the yard and watching the birds fly by.

Smart Home Upgrades Give Seniors Control

Installing smart home technology is another way to put control back in the hands of your loved one. With the help of a few smart home devices, your seniors can have complete control over their home environment, controlling things like lighting, temperature, and home security with a smartphone—or even their voice. For example, video doorbells enable seniors to see who is at the door from anywhere in the home without getting up and unlock the door for guests or couriers. Using smartphone apps, you can even automate your senior’s home routines to create the ideal temperature and lighting for different times of the day.

Wireless Home Monitoring

Similar technology can be used for wireless home monitoring. By remotely monitoring your loved one in their home, you will be alerted if something changes about their regular behavior. You can even set up monitoring devices that let you know when they turn on an appliance or leave the house. If you’re concerned about the safety of your loved one living in their home alone, wireless monitoring technology can provide some invaluable peace of mind.

Medical Alert Systems Notify You in Emergencies

Whether your loved one is at home or out and about, a medical alert system will notify you in the event of an emergency. These are also referred to as health monitors or fall alert systems. Many devices and systems exist to alert loved ones about a potential health emergency. AARP suggests picking an alert system that offers features like fall detection, help buttons that call emergency services, medical monitoring, and daily check-in services. Not only will these tools help you worry a little less, but they’ll give your loved one the confidence they need to continue aging in place.

GPS Trackers Offer Safety Monitoring

Medical alert systems may also include location detection and tracking. If your loved one still drives or likes to get out of the house for walks, a GPS tracker will ensure you always know where they are and can contact someone with their location if they get lost. These trackers are particularly useful for seniors with dementia and those who are prone to wandering. With the help of GPS monitoring, your loved one can continue living an independent lifestyle and you won’t have to worry about their well-being when they’re out and about.

Tech Innovations Combat Health Challenges

Certain tech tools can also help seniors who struggle with various health challenges. For example, our quality of sleep tends to deteriorate as we get older. This can make it hard for older adults to get the amount of sleep they need, especially if they deal with trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early. Tech innovations like sleep trackers, smart sleep masks, and sleep sound machines can help even the most restless train their brains to sleep better.

No one is ever prepared to be a long-distance caregiver. In many ways, caring from a distance is even more physically and emotionally challenging than providing care in person. Taking advantage of technology and leveraging advanced care tools will give you some peace of mind while allowing your senior loved one to maintain their independence and quality of life.

Are you looking for more ways to implement technology into your daily life? Check out the Transformative Technology Lab to learn how you can leverage transformative technologies to improve your life.

Guest Writer: Annabelle Harris

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