Long-Distance Caregiving Checklist

Here are a few items to keep in mind during your next visit. • Attend a doctor’s appointment with your parent to find out current health status and concerns. • Check with the pharmacy to make sure your parent is getting all his or her prescriptions filled and on a timely basis. • Kitchen check-up. Make sure to report any weight loss to the doctor as it can also be a sign of something more serious. Check the refrigerator to make sure there is ample food or for outdated food. • Assess driving ability. • Meet your parent’s neighbors and close friends and get their phone numbers, and provide your emergency contact. • Discuss your parent’s wishes for health care and finances in case he or she is unable to make those decisions in the future. • Gather a list of trustworthy, reputable eldercare and related resources in the community. • Get copies of your parent’s insurance card(s), physicians’ names and phone numbers, key contacts and medical history. • Do a safety evaluation of the home. • Consider a personal emergency response system.

Long-Distance Caregiving: Planning For the Future

Here are some primary areas where aging parents often need help. • Medication management • Meal preparation • Transportation • Declining mobility or health • Memory problems • Household deficiencies