Studying or working abroad? Here’s how you can take care of your parents while sitting in vilayat

Don’t let the distance affect the care they deserve. Here is a list of things you can do for your parents while being abroad.
how to take care of parents when you are abroad
Balancing life abroad and ageing parents back home can be a tough task. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Sonakshi Kohli Updated: 19 Feb 2020, 11:53 am IST
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If you’re saat samundar paar due to your studies or a job abroad, chances are that you miss your parents just as much as you miss home-cooked food.

Chances are also that you find it super-difficult to take care of them while you’re miles away—especially if your parents are getting older.

While it’s easier to feel guilty about it, looking for solutions to actually step up and take care of them—even from a distance—can help you a great deal. Here are a few tips for you all:

Be the tech-savvy dudette that you are in vilayat
Nothing makes a parent smile wider than seeing their child’s face. Unfortunately, you, child, are thousands of miles away from them. But fortunately, the same technology that helps you stay connected with your cool friends can help bring a smile on your parents’ faces too. 

So, schedule a video call at a time suitable for both you and your parents once a day—at least. And stick to this routine. 

During the course of this interaction, ask about their health, keep a tab on their visits to the doctor and if they’re having their medicines on time, if at all they’re on any kind of medication.

Additionally, when you use the first five minutes of your morning to check your phone, take out 5 seconds from that time to leave your parents a Good Morning text. This will make them feel more special than you can imagine. 

how to take care of parents when you are abroad
It’s time to do for your parents what they’ve done for you. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

Plan out their scenes just as eagerly as you plan out yours
Don’t bother denying how you excitedly text your friends to make a scene every weekend. With the same excitement, you can make a get-together scene for your parents too—all this while sitting miles away from them. 

How about forming a Whatsapp group with their friends’/close relatives’ numbers and encouraging them to go out? Book movie tickets for them, encourage them to go for holidays, ask their friends to take them out for lunch, inform them about the exhibitions/fairs nearby so they can visit and enjoy new experiences.

Also, read: 5 things your ageing parents want you to know but won’t tell you, expert reveals

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PERSONALISE NOW

Don’t forget that personal touch from the old times
If you’re a 90s kid, you know your childhood was incomplete without making greeting cards and writing letters to loved ones. It’s time to channel the same kid in you by making sure to send cards and letters on special occasions just to bring a smile on your parents’ faces. 

Appoint a reliable caretaker
Whether it’s a trusted domestic helper or a friendly neighbour, who religiously checks on your parents every now and then, make sure to appoint your sources just about right so they can take care of your parents in your absence. 

In fact, have an emergency contact handy in case of any possible mishap. 

how to take care of parents when you are abroad
It’s important to find a right caregiver for your ageing parents. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

Keep a close watch—ALWAYS
You have no idea how much getting cameras installed throughout the house can help you if you’re living miles away from your parents. These days, you can check what’s going on in your house on your phone itself. 

So, the next time you visit home, make sure to get the cameras and its app installed on your phone. Not to mention, once you’re done doing so, check the cameras at regular intervals to ensure their safety. 

Teach them to milk the technology as well
From setting medicine reminders on the phone to using emergency alarms in the house, to navigating the GPS to find their ways while travelling—your parents need to learn a few basic technological operations and you’ve got to be their teacher for it.

Get them a health coach
From yoga to meditation to light weightlifting, figure out the kind of physical activity that your parents enjoy and appoint a fitness tutor, who can visit them and make them healthier and fitter. 

Alternatively, if there are any group health classes in the vicinity, encourage your parents to join so they can meet new people as well while benefiting from the health class.

So, start doing these things right away and take care of your parents in the best possible manner while sitting abroad.

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