Note: In this series, we portray our customers using aliases to uphold their identities.
Taking Care of Aging Parents in Another Country
Being the only son, making the decision to move away from his parents comes with all sorts of challenges and guilt. Meet Jason, an auditor who moved to the UK to pursue his career and start a family of his own.
When being assigned to move abroad, Jason could not forego this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. However, he foresees all the hurdles ahead of him. What adds to the challenge is knowing that he has limited resources and relatives that he could rely on to assist in his parent’s day-to-day. To make sure he finds an alternative before he leaves, Jason starts doing research online to look for stand-in help and came across Homage who happens to fit the bill.
Amidst the distance and timezone difference, Jason is able to get assurance through the real-time updates on the Homage App for the visit appointments. He also gets to be involved in the care journey by communicating directly with the caregivers and receiving summary reports at the end of each visit. This allows him to transition abroad with peace of mind knowing that he is able to secure long-distance care and his parents are in good hands.
A Little Background About Jason’s Parents
Both Jason’s parents are retirees from the hotel industry. They crossed paths at their workplace, fell in love, and the rest was history.
In their golden years, they are generally independent. However, due to ageing reasons, his father, Mr. Wang, has developed bilateral knee pain which causes physical constraints and requires frequent checkups. He gets tired easily when walking down the stairs or standing for too long and would require a walking stick sometimes. Albeit it all, Jason’s father wears the biggest smile on his face and loves fellowship.
Jason’s mother, Mrs. Wang, on the other hand, is diagnosed with dementia in recent years and experiences sundowning when sleep-deprived. Sometimes during the day, she would delay her medicine intake. She is chatty and able to recall the past but not recent events. She also has blurry visions due to glaucoma.
What our Homage Care Specialist Suggested
Our Care Specialist manage to catch Jason at his home to conduct an in-person care assessment for his parents a few weeks before he boarded the plane. Based on the session, we have identified a few services that he needed help with for his parents:
- Check-in visit
- Ensure the general wellness and safety of Mr. and Mrs. Wang.
- Observe any fall risk and inform Jason if there are any abnormalities.
- Conduct and monitor their blood pressure as both of them have hypertension.
- Remind them to take medicines on time.
- Fetch Mr. and Mrs. Wang to the hospital for their medical checkups.
- Ensure they bring their IC and appointment card along. Pack water and some snacks in case they are hungry during the waiting time.
- Document the doctor’s assessment and treatment thoroughly in the visit summary via the Homage App so that Jason can refer to it in real time and make decisions based on the report.
- Staying active through physical and brain activities
- Conduct passive range of motion exercises like shoulder and ankle stretches according to their tolerance. Facial expression exercises are encouraged too.
- Elevate Mr. Wang’s lower limbs whenever he is seated.
- Provide gentle shoulder and foot massages for blood circulation and release of muscle stiffness.
- Motivate Mrs. Wang to walk and get some fresh air around the neighbourhood.
- Encourage play time like poker card games, puzzles, colouring, and simple math quizzes, especially with Mrs. Wang.
- Grocery Shopping
- Accompany Mr. Wang to the nearest market to purchase weekly groceries and household items.
Jason’s feedback
Homage caregiver reminding patient to eat her medicine.
With the first scheduled visit being a medical escort and the only face-to-face encounter Jason had with a Homage Care Pro, he was already convinced by the professionalism of the carers on the platform. The caregiver was punctual, studied Mr. Wang’s medical history diligently prior to the appointment, and was able to build a good rapport with him which left a good impression on the family.
Coupled with the assessment done by the Care Specialist, Jason was assured of the quality of the service and proceeded to schedule a weekly check-in visits for his parents on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Experience with Homage App
One of the main deciding factors Jason engages with us is because of the convenience he finds using the Homage app. He gets to schedule and pays for upcoming visits, receives instantaneous notifications on visit arrangements, and most importantly gets detailed post-visit reports from the caregivers, all within the Homage app itself.
This is what he needs, more than ever.
Getting Stand-In Care with Homage
Long-distance caregiving, though difficult, is possible given the right approach and support. You are able to still stay connected and have control over the care rendered for your loved ones back home.
If you or you know someone who needs stand-in care like Jason and his family, our trained Care Professionals are ready to bridge the gap and offer holistic care options including personal care, nursing services, or rehabilitation therapy, starting from one hour to round-the-clock care 24/7, at your own convenience.
Get in touch with our Care Advisor today for a free consultation by filling up the details below and let us take care of your pa and ma while you’re away.
