One of the best things a caregiver can do is listen to what they're telling you. Since they're telling you they would like to see you more, they miss you, you might want to talk with them about what changes have been going on in their lives.

For instance, your mother may tell you she misses you and what she'd like for you to know is that the care of your father is becoming more complicated, so one of the first things that you would want to do is to go below the surface of their missing-you statements.

At your parents' ages, it's not uncommon for care needs to become more pronounced. If feasible, you may want to consider how you can be a more active caregiver to them as they age.

Do you have siblings or other relatives that live near your parents? You might want to find out if they can help meet your parents' care needs in some way.

There are things you can do long-distance to support your parents, including:

• Helping them make financial plans
• Thinking through issues of long-term care
• Discussing housing arrangement as they get older

These are all issues you could help them address long distance, as well as when you visit them.