Billed as “an essential guide for families and friends caring for ill or elderly loved ones”, this 31-page handbook developed by the Family Caregiver Alliance is valuable resource that elder professionals can distribute to long-distance caregivers. The document, written in 2003, is a bit dated, but the essentials are still pertinent. Designed as a guide for newer, long-distance caregivers, topics covered include (but are not limited to):
- Preventive Steps
- What’s Needed?
- Checklist of Care Needs
- Care Managers
- Who’s on Your Team?
- Who Can do What?
- Places to Start
- Balancing Work and Eldercare
- Paying for Care
- Practical Tips and Resources for a Distant Caregiver
- Helpful Agencies and Organizations
Download the Handbook for Long-Distance Caregivers
The document is by no means thorough and will certainly not answer all of the questions a new, long-distance caregiver is going to have, but it does act as a valuable introductory document for long-distance caregivers. Aging professionals will probably not learn anything new in the document, but it’s something that can be distributed to others. It’s the only introductory document for long-distance caregivers I’ve seen. If you know of other long-distance caregiving resources, please leave them in the comments section of this post.