How to care for a loved one while living abroad

Often at HaloCare, we hear from expats who have moved abroad for reasons such as career opportunities or to raise their family in a new location, but have concerns about how their loved ones at home will manage without them.

Here's how you can help care for a loved one even while living abroad:

1. Staying connected

Staying connected with loved ones is easier than ever with the variety of technological solutions available. Having a regular scheduled call helps keep connected and can give loved ones at home something to look forward to.

How HaloCare can assist:

The HaloPad provides one central location for clients and their Circle of Care to stay connected. For clients who may not feel as confident using technology, or don’t want to use multiple devices, the HaloPad can be easier to navigate and less overwhelming for the user.

Clients can regularly have video or phone calls, at the touch of a button and enjoy photo sharing, all within the HaloPad interface.

At the initial HaloCare set up stage, our HaloCare technicians will ensure that clients feel confident using the HaloPad, for a more enjoyable experience for everyone involved.

HaloCare’s Care Hub team will also be on hand for a daily ‘comfort call’. The comfort call provides the client with a friendly, familiar voice each day, scheduled at a time that suits their schedule. If you're abroad and trying to stay connected with a time distance, the daily comfort call means your loved one will have the opportunity to connect with someone on a daily basis.

2. Assistive Devices

Assistive Technology is on-hand to help support people with their daily activities such as medication management, controlling temperature at home easily and staying active safely.

For older loved ones or individuals with mobility conditions, the risk of falling can be a big concern for family members. Assistive devices such as emergency pendants can provide peace of mind that help will be available should your loved one require it.

How HaloCare can assist:

HaloCare has various devices including our HaloGo watch or emergency pendants, depending on the client's preference, that can be worn and provide your loved one with the ability to alert the Care Hub team if they need assistance.

HaloCare provides round-the-clock health and safety monitoring, using sensors and smart devices placed in the home of your loved one. These sensors can be used to detect falls or other emergencies, this means the Care Hub team will be able to intervene quickly if required.

These tools give peace of mind that help is always available, even when you're far away.

3. Vital Sign Monitoring

Vital sign monitoring offers crucial health benefits by providing continuous real-time data on essential body functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate. This allows for early detection of health issues, enabling timely interventions and preventing complications.

How HaloCare can assist:

HaloCare uses Vital Sign Monitoring to assist with the collection of vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation levels etc. This data is then shared with the client's clinician, for a full view of the client's overall wellbeing.

This information makes it easier to detect changes in health early, allowing for a more preventative approach to healthcare. For those who are living abroad, they can find comfort in the fact that their loved one's health is being monitored, from the comfort of the client's home.

4. Care Coordination

Care coordination is the organised approach to managing patient care across multiple health care providers, services or people. It ensures that all aspects of the client's care—whether provided by clinicians or caregivers—are aligned and communicated effectively.

By creating a comprehensive plan that addresses the individual’s needs, care coordination reduces gaps in care, prevents duplication of services, and enhances the overall quality of care.

 How HaloCare can assist:

HaloCare offers professional support teams in the form of the Care Hub, who can respond to emergencies using aspects of the HaloCare solution such as the Motion Detection sensors which will alert the Care Hub team if there has been a prolonged period of time in the home without movement, or if the client presses the SOS feature on their HaloGo Watch or Pendant.

With the appliance management sensors, the Care Hub will be able to tell if the client has opened the fridge, turned on the kettle etc. and will be able to check in on the client if they feel necessary.

You can have peace of mind that your loved one will have a backup team on the ground, ensuring their needs are being met, and they are receiving quality care, if you can’t be there physically.

One of the biggest benefits for family members living abroad is being able to join The Circle of Care Companion App, which is available at the request of the client. The Circle of Care Companion App will provide family members with access to the clients ‘day story’ which is a daily log of the clients' activities of the day i.e. the Day Story will report on levels of activity and will report on any patterns that are out of the ordinary, including longer periods of sleeping etc. 

The Day Story will also tell the family has their loved one turned on the kettle, opened the cupboards etc.  This information will indicate if the client has made dinner and if they are looking after their health and well-being at home. 

Having this information at hand can bring great comfort to loved ones, especially those living abroad with a time distance who may not be able to find a good time to call in and check on their loved one, they will know from The Circle of Care App that their loved one is comfortable at home at any time of the day.

This information keeps the lines of communication open between the client, the family and the Care Hub team.

Conclusion

By leveraging HaloCare and assistive technology, you can remotely manage your loved one’s health, safety, and daily care, providing you with peace of mind despite the distance.

If you are living away from your family members and would like to find out if HaloCare is a solution that could work for your loved ones, get in touch today.