An NRN's Guide to Arranging Home Care in Nepal From Abroad

Arranging care for a parent in Kathmandu while you're in Melbourne, Dubai or Delhi comes with a specific kind of anxiety: you can't just drop by. Every decision runs through a phone call, and every reassurance depends on trusting people you may never meet in person. Here's how to do it carefully.

1. Vet the Agency Before You Vet the Caregiver

Ask direct questions before signing anything: Are nurses NMC-registered or background-checked? Is there a registered nurse supervising the care plan, or only an attendant? What happens if the assigned caregiver is sick or unavailable — is there a backup? A serious agency will answer all of this without hesitation.

2. Set Up a Remote-Visibility System From Day One

Don't wait for a crisis to ask for updates. Agree upfront on: how often you'll receive photo or video updates, who your single point of contact is (ideally one care coordinator, not a rotating cast of caregivers), and what a "normal" week of communication looks like versus what triggers an immediate call. Weekly video check-ins work well for stable, ongoing care — daily photo updates matter more in the first two weeks after a hospital discharge — and always confirm the emergency contact chain: who gets called first, second, and when you get called directly.

3. Plan Around the Time Zone Honestly

A 10.5-hour gap between Kathmandu and Sydney, or 5.5 hours from London, means "urgent" calls will sometimes land at 3am your time. Decide in advance which situations genuinely warrant waking you up versus which can wait for a message you'll see in the morning — and make sure your care coordinator has that list in writing.

"When my father needed care after his bypass surgery, I was in Melbourne and terrified. Life Aid's nurse sent me a video update every single evening. It changed how I slept at night." — Anjali Basnet, NRN Family, Melbourne

4. Handle Payment Without Friction

Confirm upfront whether the agency accepts international bank transfer, and whether they can issue receipts by email — useful if a family member locally needs to be reimbursed, or if you're tracking expenses for your own records. Avoid any arrangement that relies on informal cash handoffs with no paper trail.

5. Revisit the Plan Every Few Months

A parent's needs change — sometimes gradually, sometimes suddenly after a fall or diagnosis. Build in a standing quarterly call with your care coordinator to reassess whether the current package still fits, rather than only reacting when something goes wrong.

Our care coordinators are used to working entirely over phone and WhatsApp with families abroad — from the first assessment call through to weekly updates, wherever you are in the world.