Having always lived practically around the corner from my mother during my adult life, I faced an impossible decision 12 years ago when my husband had a promotion opportunity with work that came with the contingency that we would have to relocate hundreds of miles away from Florida, which we’ve always known as our home. At that stage, I was concerned more about what the growing distance would do to our family dynamic, since my children in particular had always had a very close relationship with their grandmother, than how it would affect my ability to help with my mother’s care as she aged. To be honest, the thought never really entered my mind that the distance would make it tremendously more difficult to provide care for my mother. She was then in her 70’s, active, mobile and thriving–living independently.  Should I have known that wouldn’t last forever? Probably, but at the time I had to make a decision based on the facts that I had on the table.

I’m not the un-involved daughter people try to peg me for when they hear I live across the country from my elderly mother. As her health and mobility are declining, I may not be a full-time care provider, but I consider myself to be a totally devoted care coordinator. I have arranged for a local professional caregiving agency from Florida to come into her home daily and help her in the areas where she struggles, and have opened the lines of communication between myself, her caregivers, and the medical professionals who are responsible for her day-to-day well-being. I may not see my elderly mother everyday, but I’m always a phone call away, and would never hesitate to hop on a plane anytime she needs me.

Sources:

1. National Institute on Aging

2. How to Care

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.