Q. My mother and father live in the East. They are getting older, but have seemed to be doing fine until recently. As an only son living in Kansas, I’m concerned about being a long-distance caregiver. I’m just at a loss for where to begin gathering helpful information.

A. There is a national service set up just to assist in situations like yours. It is called the “Eldercare Locator,” a telephone service of the U.S. Administration on Aging. This free telephone service puts callers in touch with information about state and area agencies, tribal organizations and private organizations serving the elderly in their own community.

Callers to the Eldercare Locator are greeted by an information specialist who will ask for the county, city name or ZIP code of the elderly person as well as a brief description of the problem or situation.

You can reach the locator by calling (800) 677-1116, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Eldercare Locator is not an automated, touch-tone information system.

An online version of the Eldercare Locator, www.eldercare.gov, provides users with 24-hour access to assistance resources for seniors.

When, through the Eldercare Locator, you are connected with probably the Area Agency on Aging in your parents’ community, you will find someone with a thorough knowledge of services and programs in that area. Many Area Agencies on Aging also offer aging case management (sometimes called geriatric care management) in which a trained professional assesses your parents’ situation, orders appropriate services and then monitors the situation.

This probably will not feel as good for you as your being closer to your parents, but it is at least a wise first step in analyzing their situation.