Supporting An Elderly Loved One Who Lives At A Distance
In previous generations it was common for families to live in close proximity of each other, perhaps in the same village. Where I originate from in Barnsley it was not unusual in the 1970s and 1980s for several family members to live in different houses in the same street! Today we see families spread out all over the country and may even live in different countries! In my own family on retirement my mother and her second husband decided in 1996 to move 80 miles from their birthplace in Barnsley to the seaside in Scarborough. When loved ones are relatively young, in good health and both partners are alive this distance does not present a problem. However, if a partner dies and the remaining spouse experiences poor health it can present a crisis for other family members who may have other responsibilities like a job and children. This happened to myself when my mother who lived alone experienced an escalation in her health problems due to memory loss in October 2024. By this stage I lived 140 miles away from Scarborough, had two school children to look after, and run Independent Living.
This is where a care company like Independent Living can help. We can check each day to ensure that a loved one is well, up and about. The positive aspect of regular care visits is that if something isn’t quite right we can inform you and take action promptly. Without care visits a serious issue could be developing such a dehydration or dementia escalation which a family may not be aware just through regular telephone calls. The problem may become serious before a next of kin realises. More practically Independent Living can: provide personal care, companionship, make meals, prompt medication, carry out housework, go shopping and take people to appointments. Transport to appointments is a growing area of work for us, if older people need to attend GPs, clinics or hospitals transport is a problem as taxis do not stay with a loved during hospital treatment.
If you need care for a loved one why not call Amanda or Lilian on 01257 696 050 in office hours.
