Digital Caregiving Helps Elders Stay Connected. Long-Distance Caregivers Benefit From High Tech.
Our culture today offers virtual banking, virtual schooling, virtual business meetings, and virtual caregiving thanks to technological innovation. How is virtual caregiving possible? Modern technology offers a variety of methods to lessen the stress and workload of human carers, enhancing overall care quality and lightening the load on those who provide the care.
Being a caregiver is hard enough on family members, but when a loved one lives miles away, the concerns and burdens become greater. There are nearly 48 million caregivers in the United States. You are considered a long-distance caregiver if you live an hour or more away from a care recipient. Eleven percent of family caregivers live an hour or more away from their aging or ailing loved one, according to the "Caregiving in the U.S. 2020" study by AARP and the National Alliance of Caregiving.
How Can You Help Living Far Away?
What can you actually do from a long distance? Actually, you can do several important things that will significantly help your older family member. These would include things like:
- Paying bills and maintaining financial accounts
- Putting together a plan for medical emergencies and maintaining key paperwork
- Making sure the home environment is safe
- Evaluating home care services
- Find, when needed, adult day care, assisted living, memory care, or nursing home
- Keeping family and friends updated
- Helping the older person stay in touch with other family members
- Providing emotional support and occasional respite care for a primary caregiver is responsible for most of the everyday caregiving responsibilities
For those with chronic illnesses, dementia, or age-related needs for support with activities of daily living or supervision due to dementia, the cost of professional caregivers has proved daunting. Unpaid family caregivers struggle to strike a balance between their caring duties, employment, and families.
With 145 million Americans living with a chronic illness, 67% of patients don't comply with their prescribed treatment plan. Non-adherence is a significant problem for the care recipient and their quality of life. It also adds additional stress on family members.
High technology is stepping in to help. SameDay Security, Inc introduced several years ago its brand of high tech called Addison Care, which debuted what the company says is the world's first virtual caregiving system.
Addison Care engaged care recipients not just to comply with prescribed medication plans, medical tests, and rehabilitation activities but to provide verification of compliance. Continual in-home checkups help the care recipient stay on track.
There are many companies now providing virtual caregiving to help human caregivers. Remote monitoring, voice command devices, motion detectors, webcams, and robotics can reduce the stress on human caregivers.
Technology Allows You to Stay in Touch Even When You Live Afar
Long-distance caregivers can use technology to oversee their loved one who needs assistance. Even if the person you are caring for is in a long-term care facility, you can stay on top of their care and monitor them from afar with high-tech help.
You still need be armed with information because you are the human. When you must take on the position of a long-distance caregiver, one of the first things you should do is to learn as much as you can about your loved one's health. Know the medications they use. You should be aware of the names and phone numbers of their doctors. Recognize what ongoing care (like, for example, physical therapy) they undergo so you can stay on top of the schedule.
This information gives you the power to understand and anticipate future needs and prevent crisis management. It will also be easier to discuss these issues with their doctors as you will be better able to ask the right questions.
Have Required Paperwork in Place
Be sure to get a HIPAA form signed. A medical power of attorney for health and finances will give you the ability to get information and, if required, make decisions. Keep a record of vital information about their medical care, insurance (including Medicare information, Medicare supplement, and Long-Term Care Insurance information), social services, contact numbers, and financial issues. Copies can be provided to caregivers, facilities, and other family members. Be sure to keep this information up-to-date.
The rest of the family will need to be updated, which is especially important if the family is spread out. A telephone and email contact list can be very helpful for communication. You can easily keep friends, family, and neighbors updated on your family members' needs.
Give Loved One Some Tech to Use
One thing that is being done often is to give the older family member a cell phone or tablet. Be sure to teach them how to use it. You will find that older people get proud of their ability to use smartphones or other devices, some of which are designed for older people. The older person will feel more connected to friends and family, but it also becomes a "lifeline."
Be sure to program the phone numbers of their doctors, friends, family members, and yourself into the phone as well. Video chat offers a way to see your older family member. Just as important, the older adult gets to see you and other friends and family even if they cannot visit in person.
If they live in an assisted living facility or a nursing home, a private phone line installed in their room can also be very beneficial if a cell phone does not get good reception inside the building. An iPad or tablet connected to the internet can be helpful if smart devices have difficulty getting a connection.
Are You Prepared for Your Future Aging?
These strategies will make your ability to be an effective long-distance caregiver much more effortless. But what about when you get older? What plans have you put in place to reduce these burdens that, down the road, will impact your children and their families?
Affordable Long-Term Care Insurance will provide the resources for quality care in your desired setting. Most plans will also provide case management to help your family make the best decisions. Caregiving is hard, and paid care drains savings. Long-Term Care Insurance is easy and affordable income and asset protection.
Be sure to speak with a specialist who understands these products and has experience with how policies get used at the time of claim. Be sure to act before you retire to give yourself the best benefits at the lowest costs.
Most people obtain coverage in their 50s. Be sure to seek a Long-Term Care Insurance specialist representing top insurance companies. Interestingly enough, many specialists use 'virtual' means to help make it easier and more convenient no matter where you live.