5 Simple Steps to Care for Your Parents While Living Abroad

Moving abroad but worried about your elderly parents back home? Here’s a straightforward plan to keep them safe and healthy.

Step 1: Check What Help They Need Now

Before you leave, figure out exactly what your parents can and can’t do on their own. Take them for medical checkups and write down all their medications and doctor information. Look around their house for anything dangerous like slippery floors or bad lighting, electrical issues, furnitures that need fixing.

This helps you know what kind of help to arrange.

Step 2: Find People Who Can Help Nearby

Your parents need local people they can count on. Ask family members, friends, or neighbors to check on them regularly. You might need to hire someone to help with cleaning, cooking, or medicine. Look into places where elderly people come around to meet, make friends and stay active.

Step 3: Use Technology to Stay Connected

Set up video calls so you can see and talk to your parents often. Consider getting them a medical alert button they can press in emergencies. Some families use smart pill boxes that remind parents to take medicine, or cameras that let you check if everything’s okay at home.

Step 4: Get Professional Help if Needed

Depending on how much help your parents need, you might hire professional caregivers. This could be someone who visits a few times a week or someone who stays with them all the time. Some parents do better in assisted living communities where they have help but still have their own space.

Step 5: Plan for Emergencies

Make sure someone present or who lives around them can make important decisions if your parents can’t. Give a trusted person power of attorney for medical and money matters. Create a list of emergency contacts and make sure everyone has it. Talk to your parents about what they want if they get very sick, and write it down legally.

The key is to start planning before you leave and check in regularly. Your parents’ needs might change over time, so be ready to adjust your plan. With good preparation, you can live abroad while still taking good care of your parents.

And in case you have left, you can still do these and adapt to your specific senior need.

How did you handle this when you were in a similar situation? Or what other things do you advise people do when they need to care for their parents back home?