It’s a position many of us have found ourselves in and increasingly many more of us will in the future.
As society ages and mobility increases, caring for ageing family members has become more of a challenge and is often done at a distance.
Roger Runswick from The 50plus discusses the problems and solutions for those who may find themselves in that situation.
It’s not uncommon for a family to be remotely caring for elderly relatives, seeing that their needs are being taken care of from the UK or abroad. What are the challenges and can it be made to work?
Looking after property
One of the biggest challenges to keeping the elderly in their own homes is property maintenance. This needs people on hand for both routine care and emergency maintenance. These responders need to be able to use discretion, empathise with the elderly and be able to use their initiative to solve problems. Often, they or their company need to be able to come up with solutions to changing needs.
Looking after loved ones
The initial challenge once the need has been recognised is assuring there is an adequate level of reliable care available. This guarantees basic needs are met and also maintains a decent living environment. A key attribute is knowing when something is amiss and identifying when action is needed.
Maintaining communication
Thanks to modern technology maintaining communication is a lot easier than it used to be. The tech sector provides a range of what are effectively cross-subsidised services (e.g. Amazon Echo) which have a low purchase cost and are free to use. Tablets, often more user-friendly for the elderly, and mobile phones offer the capability of video calls with equipment most people can use. Smart speakers can simply ‘drop-in’ without the end user needing to do anything and provide hands-free voice communication so elderly users don’t need to activate a keypad. Simple video monitoring is also available but is not for everyone as cameras in the house are not always welcome.
The downside is that technology lacks the human touch. There is no simple formula. Requirements are not determined by age but by need, as individuals age at differing rates. The end user’s family need to be on board and siblings need to be in agreement. There will come a time in some lives when 24/7 on-hand care is required.
There is no magic money tree
Whilst some costs such as communications continue to fall, others, typically the ones needing human intervention e.g. maintenance and personal care, have increased in line with labour, material and employment costs. For the ‘baby boom’ generation with wealth tied up in property, this can be a source of longer-term funding. There are government schemes to enable effective equity release for care home funding but only market-based for the elderly staying in their own homes. There are also grants available, particularly funding for the disabled and for the transformation of property e.g. showers instead of baths. These are fiscally constrained and may be means-tested. Disable adaptions are typically VAT-free.
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If you would like to find out more contact The 50plus. The company is a registered Home Improvement Agency and can offer free advice on practical ways forward.
