Can You Be an Effective Long-Distance Caregiver?

People often think of caregiving as providing care to someone you live with or close to, but you can still offer plenty of support as a long-distance caregiver. With proper planning and the right resources, you can still provide sufficient care from afar.

It may seem that caring for an aging parent or other family member from a distance makes the responsibility less demanding. But if you’ve been in the position of being a long-distance caregiver, you know that this role comes with unique challenges and rewards.

Below, we’re covering how to navigate long-distance caregiving through the following topics:

1. Understanding your family member’s health

2. Staying connected to your family’s care network

3. Regularly checking in with your family member

4. Being flexible

5. Considering senior advocacy services

6. Keeping up with self-care

Challenges of Long-Distance Caregiving

It can be emotionally difficult to be far away from a family member. You may feel guilty that you aren’t closer to your family, or perhaps you feel like you aren’t as involved as you would like to be. These emotions are natural and expected—especially if the person you care for isn’t a quick trip away. 

Long-distance caregivers also have the burden of travel—an effort that can not only be disruptive to work and other responsibilities but also costly. The National Institute on Aging defines a long-distance caregiver as someone who lives an hour or more away from a person who needs care, with a national average of 450 miles separating a caregiver from their family member. Regardless of your transportation method, those miles add up.

To overcome these obstacles, caregivers have to be patient, responsive, and receptive to their family member’s needs and their own. Distance doesn’t make you immune to caregiver burnout. Make sure you’re both receiving the care and attention you need by leaning on your resources, several of which are outlined below.

Six Tips for Navigating Long-Distance Care

Although distance makes typical caregiving more challenging, you can still capably advocate for your family member if you’re not nearby. And you’re not alone—nearly 6 million family caregivers in the U.S. are helping care for a family member who lives at least an hour away, according to AARP. 

Keep the following tips in mind to help navigate the responsibilities of long-distance caregiving.

1. Understand your family member’s health.

Develop a thorough understanding of your family member’s condition(s), treatment, insurance, and Medicaid and Medicare benefits. Ask your family member to provide written consent for you to speak with their healthcare team so you can receive medical information from afar. If you think it would be beneficial, you may even want to ask your family member’s permission to occasionally sit in on their telehealth appointments (if applicable) so you can remain informed and get a chance to speak directly with their physician.

2. Stay connected with your family’s care network.

You can’t do everything on your own from a distance, and your family member’s primary local care team can’t do everything on their own either. Form a team to rally around your family member and identify who is available to assist in emergencies and lend a hand if necessary. Build a relationship with your family member’s primary caregiver and determine what you can do to help support them and your family member. 

Establish a system to keep track of important documents and personal information to ensure they remain updated, secure, and easily accessible. These can include physical or digital copies of financial, health, and legal documentation and contact information for physicians, healthcare providers, and other caregivers.

3. Regularly check in with your family member.

Staying in close contact with your family member is essential to being an effective long-distance caregiver. See what communication tools they’re most comfortable using and what methods they prefer, whether that’s videos, phone calls, family group chats, or shared calendars. 

Then, schedule regular check-ins with them and ensure you stay up to date on health conditions and their living situation. If they're unfamiliar with the features of a certain piece of technology, such as a cell phone or laptop, walk them through how to use it, even if it’s only used for emergencies. 

Try to set aside time for meaningful, in-person visits, whether it means getting together casually or including them in holiday celebrations. Nothing is better than a long-awaited reunion! Plan something to do in advance by asking what they would like to do when you visit. 

Note: Although it can be convenient to schedule medical appointments during such visits (and this is certainly encouraged), it’s important to spend time together doing other things that aren’t related to caregiving, such as shopping, enjoying a shared hobby, or chatting over tea.

4. Be flexible.

Most importantly, be prepared to adjust to your family member’s changing needs. If you think it may be time for them to consider moving to a senior living community, make sure you're prepared to have that conversation and approach it with an open mind.

Senior living communities usually have formal systems in place to keep caregivers and other loved ones informed and updated on how a resident is doing. These resources are dedicated to building meaningful relationships with residents and their families by engaging in and maintaining an open dialogue. Families are encouraged to be actively involved in their family member’s life and care decisions.

Many communities have applications or programs that make it easier to stay up to date on a family member—even from far away. For example, Cedarhurst uses Care Merge, which keeps family members connected and informed through an easy-to-use, centralized platform.

5. Consider senior advocate services.

If you need assistance with effectively advocating for your family member’s best interests, you may want to connect with a professional member of the National Association of Senior Advocates and Advisors or another senior advocacy group. These organizations specialize in empowering older adults and their caregivers by offering expertise in various relevant fields, including finance, real estate, home care, law, and more.

6. Don’t neglect self-care

You can't be a good caregiver to anyone if you’re not taking care of yourself. Make time for your own well-being with a self-care routine so you can be at your best and healthiest for your family. Senior caregiver support groups are excellent resources for family caregivers that enable you to connect with those who may share your feelings and challenges. 

Effective Long-Distance Caregiving Is Possible with the Right Resources

Juggling the responsibilities of everyday life while caring for an aging family member is no easy feat—especially when you're hours away. However, access to supportive resources and a strong care network can help you maintain balance while ensuring high-quality care for your family member. 

If you’re looking for some help managing your role as a long-distance caregiver, consider the advantages of a senior living community, such as Cedarhurst. You can create a better future for yourself and your family member by leveraging our caregiver resources for helpful insights regarding senior care and ways to help your loved one adjust.