When one or both parents are in memory care, communicating with them and feeling at ease about their care can be difficult and stressful. You may worry about them getting enough to eat, being intellectually stimulated, and being happy in their surroundings. The miles separating you may make you feel isolated from your parent’s life and care.
What can children do from a distance to assist their parents? We’ve gathered seven valuable tasks that long-distance children can do to help parents living in memory care.
- Maintain Open and Honest Communication
Have open communication with the caregivers, facility staff, and your parent(s). Ask for updates and tackle any problems head-on. Make sure the facility and caregivers have your phone number and email and encourage them to send updates and questions whenever they need to.
- Understand the Nature of the Condition
If you’re not exposed to your parent every day, it can be confusing to see the sometimes rapid decline in health and memory. Read up on your parent’s diagnosis to understand why he or she may act differently and why memory care is necessary. Joining an online or in-person support group may assist in this, too.
- Visit Regularly
See your parent as often as you can manage. If you can’t drive or fly in, set up virtual meetings online so you can see and hear each other. These visits help maintain a connection with your parent.
- Create Positive and Meaningful Memories
Share stories and pictures, and recall memories during visits with your parent in memory care. These interactions will close the miles and make both of you feel content and hopeful.
- Stay Involved
Even if you aren’t close by, you can still remain front-and-center in your parent’s care. Participate in discussions about your parent’s care plan with the facility’s caregivers, your parent’s doctors, and other loved ones who live closer.
- Manage Stress
Having a parent in memory care can be challenging and weigh on your mental health. It’s important to recognize and address your own emotional needs. Participate in hobbies, visit with friends, and allow yourself down time to relax and recharge.
- Have Difficult Conversations
While nobody likes talking about death, make sure you know your parents’ final wishes. Do they want to be buried or cremated? Do they want to donate their organs? Also, make sure you have a copy of their wills. Ask to be looped in on their finances like bank and retirement accounts, and debts, too.
Maintaining a role in a parent’s life can be difficult from across the state, country or globe, but it’s not impossible. By committing to a few (or all) of these tasks, you’ll keep your familial connection strong and stay involved in the decisions that affect your loved one’s happiness and well-being.
Learn the benefits of high-quality memory care with a Montessori-Inspired Lifestyle by contacting us today for a consultation.