Across town or across the country, your parent gets a call every day, and you hear when it matters.
What you hear, and what you don't
You hear from us the same day (by text if you agreed to texts, otherwise by email) when:
- Calls go unanswered that day
- Something on a call sounds wrong
- An important medicine is skipped
- Your parent asks Clara to pass something on
You do not get a transcript or a report after every call. Once a week you get a short summary: how many mornings they talked with Clara, how their mood has been, and what they did together. What they talk about stays between them. Prefer monthly? Just reply to tell us. What happens when they don't answer.
Bringing it up with your parent
- Ask, don’t announce
- It is their phone and their morning. Talk to them before the first call, and let them pick the time.
- Say what it is
- An automated voice that calls to say good morning, and remembers what they told her. She says so herself if they ask. Nobody is fooled, and nobody needs to be.
- Make it about you
- “I worry less when I know someone has talked to you today” is true, and easier to hear than “I think you need checking on.”
- Tell them they are in charge
- If it is not a good time, they say so and she calls tomorrow. They can call the same number back whenever they like.
Brothers, sisters, and whoever lives closest
Add everyone who should know as a family contact. They all get the same texts, so nobody has to relay the news, and the one who lives nearest can be the one who goes over. Most families already have that person; the text just reaches them sooner.
When a call is not enough
A daily call notices when something is off. It does not help anyone out of a chair. If your parent falls, needs help with everyday tasks, or is getting more confused, they need people nearby: a medical alert button for help at any hour, in-home care, or a move closer.
Your local Area Agency on Aging knows what is available where your parent lives, including free check-in call programs that some counties and police departments run. The Eldercare Locator finds yours: 1-800-677-1116 or eldercare.acl.gov.
