According to a 2015 AARP study, 1 in 8 caregivers lives more than an hour from their loved one.  If this is you, here are 9 ways you can ensure you are maximizing your effectiveness in spite of your distance.

1.  Get Organized – you don’t have to be in the same place to implement some basic organizational tools that will assist in supporting your loved one.  Do you have a system to maintain an appointment calendar?  Medical records?  Meals?  Household chores?  All of these things can be organized from a distance.
2. Build a Local Team – are there friends, neighbors, family members who are local and willing to work with you to support your loved one?  Become the Coach of your loved ones caregiving team and coordinate from a distance.
3. Be willing to have the courageous conversations – Initiating conversations involving the topics of a will, power of attorney, trust, joint ownership and representative payee can be challenging.  But having them allows your loved one to maintain their personal wishes in the event they become incapacitated. 
4. Gather and organize important paperwork – helping your loved one locate and secure important documents such as insurance policies, birth certificates, social security cards, marriage and/or divorce decrees.  Ensuring these documents are stored safely in a safe-deposit box or a fireproof box will assist in the event they are needed at a later date.  As a precautionary measure, make duplicate copies and store separately.
5. Create an Emergency Plan – in the event of an emergency, how will you be notified?  Will a local member of the team (from above) notify you? Discuss and create a plan to address this in the event of an emergency.
6. Contact the local Area on Aging office to obtain additional local resources for your loved one.  This office has all the information regarding local services and their availability.  They can also assist in applying for Medicaid when the time is appropriate.
7. Develop a plan with your local team – There is a lot of work involved in supporting an aging loved one.  Having regular contact and a plan of action will spread the responsibility amongst all team members.  This allows everyone to maintain balance in their life……INCLUDING YOU!
8. Adjust when necessary – as with all things in life, they change.  Your plan will also need to change as your loved ones situation changes.  Don’t be afraid to bend and modify as things change over time.
9.  Know that there is professional help to assist you in all of this.  There are patient advocates who are ready and willing to assist you in all of these efforts. You do not have to be alone on this caregivers journey.

If you are looking for information about how to keep your loved one safe while in the hospital, there are ways to do that from a distance too. Check out Patient Safety – A Real Concern & What You Can Do.

If you need more information or assistance with your caregivers role, please feel free to contact me directly at NBroadhurst@TennesseeHealthAdvocates.com or call me directly at 615-581-7566.