Life can take you in all directions. School, careers, a spouse, and starting your own family can take you anywhere in life. When your parents start to age, that distance can become a challenge. It can be tough taking care of older parents when you live far away, but there are ways to provide long distance support.
Long-Distance Caregiver Support
There are a few things long-distance caregivers can do:
- Assist their parents with managing money or provide financial support
- Help search for a retirement residence
- Stay engaged about their parents’ medical condition
Stay in Touch
One of the most important things you can do as a long-distance caregiver is to stay in touch. Call frequently and be proactive about managing your parents’ well-being and finances. By staying in touch often, you can gauge their energy levels and cognitive abilities, as well as pick up on any signs of stress or confusion.
Find Senior Housing in Ontario
Let’s take a look at a fairly common scenario. You moved to the GTA for work and started a family in the city while your parents live somewhere else in the province. You go back home for the holidays and special occasions, but the trip is too far to do on a daily or even weekly basis.
At a certain point, you may become worried about your parents’ health and safety. Should they require assistance or care and you’re too far away to provide it for them, senior housing can be the answer. Retirement residences offer something for a wide range of seniors, whether they need more frequent care and assistance with activities of daily living or they just want a place where they can relax, meet new people, and enjoy a rich schedule of activities and social nights. Feel free to call us, book a tour, and learn more about us and the care we can provide.
When your parents start needing care, they could move to the city to be closer, but costs tend to be much higher and they may want to stay in their communities, a desire that should be respected.
It may make more sense to look at retirement residences in Ontario that are closer to their homes and the communities they already love. We have senior homes in Ottawa, Stratford, London, Kanata, as well as residences across Canada, in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Quebec.
For seniors across Ontario, there are lots of good reasons to retire in Ottawa from affordability to healthcare access, though all of our Ontario residences make many other great communities accessible to seniors who want independent or assisted living.
Even if you live far away, you can have an active role caring for aging parents. Pay attention, stay in touch, and participate in finding a primary caregiver or retirement residence.