Build a plan that survives a bad-weather week when you cannot fly in. Recruit local eyes such as a Meals on Wheels driver or trusted neighbor, get medical power of attorney and HIPAA authorization in place, and establish one local point of contact, such as CICOA or a geriatric care manager.
How families here handle this
The real test of a long-distance care plan is not whether it works when you can visit easily -- it is whether it holds up on the week you cannot get there at all, whether because of weather, work, or your own health. A single reliable local point of contact, whether a paid geriatric care manager or a trusted family friend, tends to matter more than any app or camera system. Visiting at an inconvenient time occasionally -- a weekday evening instead of a planned weekend -- also tends to reveal more about day-to-day reality than a scheduled visit ever will.
