Children living further than an hour away from an aging parent that needs help are considered “long-distance caregivers”. The National Institute on Aging estimates as many as 7 million Americans are actually long-distance caregivers.

The tasks (finances, scheduling doctor appointments and helping manage household chores) long-distance caregivers help with can be challenging for adult children living in the same community, but are even more difficult when distance is factored in. They frequently need to travel, take time off of work, or use vacation days to help their parent in-person. 

Certain problems can be harder to deal with being so far away, like providing companionship, responding to medical emergencies (like an illness or a fall), transportation to appointments, and helping with meal preparation. [Read more…]