5 Tips for Balancing Caregiving and a Career

Working full time while taking care of an aging parent is challenging to say the least. As a senior living advisor, I’ve worked with family caregivers from all different professions, cultures, and walks of life.? Although each client is unique, one thing remains constant – all family caregivers are stressed when it comes to caring for aging parents.? Stress can come in different forms.? There is emotional stress, such as frustration, guilt and anxiety, as well as financial stress from having to incur costs out of pocket or taking time off work. Add to that the pressure of family dynamics and a career, and one can easily see why family caregivers need help.? Here are some eye-opening statistics.?

• There are 5.2 million Canadians who combine caregiving with a paid career, and as a group, perform about 5.7 billion hours of unpaid caregiving each year.?
• In a recent study, 46% of family caregivers in the workforce reported having to take time off work due to caregiving responsibilities, and under 50% of family caregivers felt their employer understood the pressures of family caregiving.
• More than 30% of family caregivers in the workforce are worried about losing their job or think they may have to quit in order to take care of a family member.?

There are many more alarming statistics and trends, but it is clear we are approaching a national aging and caregiving crisis.? So what can we do?? There are organizations and community initiatives aimed at helping family caregivers but this is a cause that could definitely use more provincial and national support.? For now, in the spirit of taking one step forward at a time, here are my top 5 tips on how to balance a career and caregiving duties.?

1. Seek Support

It is essential as your parents’ need increase, to create a support team.? This most likely will include family members, but there are numerous other ways to seek support.? Consider who you have in your circle of trust – this could include family members, friends, or neighbours.? Support can also take various forms:

- Paid caregivers

-Peer support – Employee Resource Groups and Peer Support Networks

-Informal or extended family support

-Professionals – doctors, counsellors, financial advisors, and eldercare planners

2. Educate yourself and plan ahead

If your parent has been diagnosed with a certain illness or chronic condition, knowing how it is expected to evolve will help you plan for the road ahead.? Proper planning can allow you to anticipate future needs, budget appropriately and evaluate the options.? Navigating through private and public resources takes time and information is fragmented, so give yourself lots of time.? Consider hiring an eldercare planner as they can help cut down the research time and help you make informed decisions.

3. Draw Boundaries

No one should bear the full responsibility of eldercare needs on their shoulders.? Even if you are the sole primary caregiver, give yourself permission to say “no”.? Consider what available time you have in the week, and what tasks you’re most suited to help with.? If there are other tasks that you cannot do, think about where you can outsource the task or who you can delegate it to.? “Share the Care” is a phrase I use often.? In deciding where to draw boundaries and how you want to allocate your time, prioritization and time management are important principles to keep in mind.? What are the most important things that must be done each week?? Block those off in your calendar to help you stay focused.

4. Ask for Workplace Benefits

Ask your employer for eldercare or caregiver support benefits ?– this could take the form of flexible work hours, family days off, or connections to eldercare advisory services.? The simplest form of support could be a lunch hour seminar conducted by an eldercare or senior living expert.? Does your workplace have an employee resource group? If not, maybe raise it to your HR department as a suggestion.? Having resources and programs brought to employees helps the employer ultimately keep productivity high and reduce absenteeism.

5. Self-Care

Self-care is really about keeping yourself as healthy as possible.? It’s like what they tell you on planes – “in the event of an emergency please put on your own oxygen mask before attempting to assist others”.? You’re no good to the person you’re caring for if you’re totally burnt out.? Make time to do the things you’ve always enjoyed or the activities that bring you joy, whether it’s playing tennis once a week, going on a date with your spouse, seeing your friends, or an evening binge-watching a Netflix show. This down-time is important to reset, and will allow you to provide better quality care to your loved one.?

Reach out to me anytime if you’d like any more guidance or tips on achieving balance, or how to bring caregiver support benefits to your workplace.