Helping Older Loved Ones from Afar

Many of us find that we need to help care for aging parents or other loved ones who live far away. Caregiving can be difficult and time-consuming, but it can also be rewarding.

An online booklet from NIH, called So Far Away: Twenty Questions and Answers for Long-Distance Caregiving, is filled with ideas that can help make caring for a loved one from afar more manageable and less stressful.

Anyone, anywhere can be a long-distance caregiver. Caregiving might involve managing an elderly aunt’s budget or helping your dad sort through medical bills. You might check the references of a home health aide, or try to take some pressure off a sibling who lives in the same town as your aging relatives.

So Far Away gives straightforward answers to 20 common questions faced by long-distance caregivers. Visit www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/long-distance-caregiving/introduction to read or download the online publication.