One of the benefits of technology is that it has made our world seem smaller. For a very small price, we can speak almost instantly with someone on the other side of the world. It’s really quite amazing if you think about it. The computer, cell phones, satellites, and other high tech devices have shrunk the world down, and it has become somewhat of a convenience for most.
This is why it’s no surprise that technology is making both healthcare and healthcare management much easier. Not only are people using computers and other devices to help provide better care to seniors, they are using technology to better plan and manage care for elderly relatives.
Let’s break it down into some of the more basic parts. First, you can find and hire a professional in-home caregiver from the other side of the country if you wish. You can log onto your computer, do a search, and countless caregivers and services will pop up. Just choose one and send an email or call them. This isn’t necessarily the best way to go about this, but it is possible. Next, you can get in touch with that caregiver over the phone and make sure that the care is adequate. Again, not the best way to do this, but it’s doable. You can use apps, video chat, and the phone to make sure that everything that is supposed to be done is being done. You can do all of these things from your own home, regardless of how far away you live from your mom or dad. Millions of Americans do this or something similar to it because it is easy and it is simple.
These things are easy and simple, but they miss out on a very important piece of the process: your presence. Being there for your mom or dad is important to them and it’s important to you. Yes, you want to make sure that they have a great caregiver, you want to be able to manage their care as simply as possible no matter where in the world you are, and you want things done quickly. But you also should be there for them in person if at all humanly possible. Being a loving family member during a difficult period of time in life is important, and it’s something that many people will regret not doing. Of course, it’s not possible for every single family, but for many it is.
That’s the mixed blessing of using technology for senior care. It does make things easier, but it can also be deceptive. It can remove the human aspect from care, and this can become dangerous. Senior care is not just about doing the right things at the right time and so on. It’s about the love and compassion that come with family and with a nurturing caregiver. You want the speed and efficiency of technology on your side, but you also want to know that your loved one is being cared for in a warm environment.
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