While technological advancements have seemingly shrunk the world for younger generations, family members moving away for work or relationships can leave their elderly relatives feeling isolated and at risk of the related emotional and physical health problems. In this article, we will offer our advice on how to stay in touch with long-distance family, highlighting the importance of communication to strengthen bonds and wellbeing, before offering examples of fun activities to keep your family connected.
Why Staying Connected Over Long Distances Is Important
Despite the existence of numerous devices and apps for staying connected over long distances, social isolation and loneliness remain among the most significant public health concerns among older adults in the UK. Age UK estimates that around 1.4 million elderly people are frequently lonely, with around 270,000 older adults going a week or more without speaking to friends or family.
While this lack of interaction can be damaging for emotional wellbeing, isolation has more recently been linked to serious health outcomes. Recent reporting from the NHS has found that loneliness in later life is associated with an increased risk of depression, anxiety and cognitive decline, such as dementia, as well as physical health conditions such as heart disease and strokes.
In light of the serious impact that loneliness can have on the emotional and physical health of adults in later life, staying connected even over long distances should be a priority for concerned family members. By maintaining contact with your long-distance family, you and your elderly relatives can:
Maintain strong relationships
Regular communication allows families to preserve emotional bonds, encouraging older adults to feel included in the lives of their loved ones and reducing feelings of distance over time. Committing to consistent forms of contact, such as phone calls, video chats or even text messages, can strengthen the trust that binds familial relationships.
Support emotional wellbeing
Research from the World Health Organization has identified connections between loneliness and mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety, as well as poorer physical health outcomes. Staying in touch with distant family members can protect them from these detrimental health effects, providing emotional reassurance and a sense of belonging.
Reduce stress and anxiety
Confiding in trusted family members can have a calming effect and help reduce feelings of stress or uncertainty. Evidence from mental health organisations such as Mind indicates that talking regularly with others can ease anxiety and help older adults to develop coping skills during difficult times.
Keep traditions alive
When families are separated by borders, keeping in touch is essential to ensure cultural identities and heritage remain active across generations. Whether this means recognising national holidays with group calls or setting aside time for older relatives to share their experiences and values with grandchildren, these shared moments help preserve traditions and strengthen family identity in ways that might otherwise be lost over distance.
Tips for Staying In Touch with Long-Distance Family
It has never been easier to stay in touch with long-distance family thanks to the advancements in modern technology, but it still requires regular effort to make communication meaningful and consistent. With a wide range of digital tools available, families can share everyday moments instantly and maintain a genuine sense of closeness across distance. It is important to note that these tools are most effective when they are used intentionally, turning occasional interactions into an ongoing part of family life.
Video calls
While texting and calling are the most accessible modes of communication, seeing your loved ones’ faces during a conversation can make a significant difference to your level of connection. Platforms such as Zoom, FaceTime and Skype allow families to speak in real time, picking up on facial expressions and tone in a way that texts and emojis are unable to replicate.
Group chats
Rather than relying on one-to-one conversations, many families use messaging groups to keep everyone in the loop throughout the day. Social media adjacent apps such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger make it easy to share quick updates, photos and voice notes, creating a steady stream of small interactions.
Social media
From celebrating life events such as birthdays and holidays to organising upcoming gatherings or sharing photographs after the fact, social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram allow family members to feel connected without needing direct contact each time. This ongoing visibility through posts, photos and stories can help maintain a sense of familiarity and connection even when family members are not actively messaging one another.
Virtual movie nights
Streaming services combined with shared watch tools allow families to enjoy films at the same time from different locations. Separate apps such as Teleparty or integrated features such as Prime Video Watch Party make it possible to synchronise your viewing with your long-distance family, sharing reactions in real time often strengthening the feeling of togetherness.
Virtual game nights
Online gaming is excellent at encouraging interaction between family members, whether through cooperation or light-hearted competition. Multiplatform games such as Jackbox or Among Us make it easy for families to join from different devices without a complicated setup, allowing everyone to jump in and enjoy themselves as if they were in the same room.
Consistency
Between work commitments, parenting responsibilities and healthcare needs, daily routines can easily dominate our lives to the extent that staying in touch with long-distance family is pushed aside despite our best intentions. Setting regular times for calls or online activities helps to make communication a predictable part of everyday life, maintaining a consistent connection rather than risking long gaps in contact and unintentional isolation.
Stay Connected with Support from Blossom
At Blossom, we recognise that maintaining meaningful connections between families is crucial to supporting the wellbeing of our elderly clients, as well as their closest family members. For this reason, we are committed to creating our bespoke care plans in collaboration with clients and their loved ones, ensuring everyone involved remains informed and reassured throughout the transition into receiving home care.
Once the care package is in place, our carers will continue the connection with families through the Blossom Home Care app, such that we can provide daily updates on the physical and emotional wellbeing of our clients. For more information about our family-centred approach to home care, please contact us today and your local care coordinator will be happy to assist you.