I get e-mail from caregivers whose parents live on the other side of the country (or the world), wondering how they can help.

Some hints:

• use the telephone as much as possible
• send cards and letters -- they mean a lot
• try and develop a relationship with the case manager if there is one
• call service organizations in your area to locate their counterparts where your parent/friend lives:
  
  • VON Canada
    (HO: 5 Blackburn Ave. Ottawa ON K1N 8A2)
  • The Canadian Red Cross Society
    (HO: 1800 Alta Vista Dr. Ottawa ON K1G 4J5)
  • St. Elizabeth Visiting Nurses Association
    (HO: 10 Gateway Blvd. Don Mills, ON M3C 1A1)