# Caring for elderly parents from abroad



## CELTAT3ach3r

Hi I hope you're well.
Having moved to Madrid last year & feeling like I'd like to settle, I'm now in a dilemma about how to help my parents, 80 & 77 respectively who, are experiencing health issues on a regular basis.

Are or have any of you experienced this?

Best wishes

Sarah-Jane


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## Bevdeforges

Are you thinking of moving your parents in with you? Or are you considering trying to help them out/manage their affairs from afar? (I've done that from afar - with regular visits and lots of Internet connections.)

Where are your parents currently located? UK? US? or somewhere else?

Are they at all Internet capable? Mine wanted nothing to do with computers, so things were a bit one-sided. And I was managing things in the US while living in France. We briefly considered possibly moving my Dad over here to live with us but there are a myriad of reasons why that was a seriously bad idea (not that he would have consented to that after my mother passed).


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## CELTAT3ach3r

Bevdeforges said:


> Are you thinking of moving your parents in with you? Or are you considering trying to help them out/manage their affairs from afar? (I've done that from afar - with regular visits and lots of Internet connections.)
> 
> Where are your parents currently located? UK? US? or somewhere else?
> 
> Are they at all Internet capable? Mine wanted nothing to do with computers, so things were a bit one-sided. And I was managing things in the US while living in France. We briefly considered possibly moving my Dad over here to live with us but there are a myriad of reasons why that was a seriously bad idea (not that he would have consented to that after my mother passed).


Thanks so much for your reply.
I am in Madrid, Spain and my parents are together in Norfolk, UK.
I do not envisage either of them moving to be with me as they're reasonably well settle where they are.
They are internet savvy and we communicate regularly with whatsapp video & calls/messages.
So I would manage things with regular trips to UK throughout.
Thanks again and hope you're OK after caring, albeit from afar, for your parents.
SJ


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## Bevdeforges

The main thing you need sounds like what you already have set up. Obviously, you need to establish what resources are available to work with and support your parents - medical, social, etc. - and set up contact with them. It sounds like you've already got the contacts with your parents set up. (That was the big part that I had to handle strictly by phone, which can be a hassle what with time differences and all.) And it sounds like you're planning on regular visits back to see them, make sure any support plans are working out as planned, and to handle the various administrative issues as they crop up. It is definitely a lot of work and worry from afar, but it's doable. And as I tend to say, all you can do is all you can do.


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## CELTAT3ach3r

Bevdeforges said:


> The main thing you need sounds like what you already have set up. Obviously, you need to establish what resources are available to work with and support your parents - medical, social, etc. - and set up contact with them. It sounds like you've already got the contacts with your parents set up. (That was the big part that I had to handle strictly by phone, which can be a hassle what with time differences and all.) And it sounds like you're planning on regular visits back to see them, make sure any support plans are working out as planned, and to handle the various administrative issues as they crop up. It is definitely a lot of work and worry from afar, but it's doable. And as I tend to say, all you can do is all you can do.


Thank you for your support, that's reassuring & a great help, much appreciated. Best wishes


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## xabiaxica

I know several people here in Spain who do their elderly parents' food shopping online for them and have it delivered.


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