How to Balance Caregiving and Your Career

If you’re currently trying to hold down a job and manage the responsibilities of being a caregiver for a loved one in Olympia, you know how hard the juggling act can be.

You should be aware of a number of red flags that can signal burnout, putting not only your job at risk, but also your loved one’s health, not to mention your own health. Learning about the increasing number of options available on the job and at home, and figuring out which of them works best for your situation can help you balance caregiving and career.

Here are some tips to manage both important responsibilities:

• Look for signs at work that the balance is off. Are you arriving late? Are you calling in sick more than usual? Are you unable to concentrate? Are you irritable?
• Look for signs at home that the balance is off. Are you unable to sleep? Are you depressed? Are you forgetting to do routine chores? Are you feeling overwhelmed?
• Get educated about Alzheimer’s disease. The more you know about the disease, the more you can get a better sense of what to expect. This can help you plan how to balance career and caregiving now and down the road.
• Find out about community resources. An adult day center can provide your loved one with a safe and stimulating environment and provide you with peace of mind during work hours. Some centers offer transportation, and open early, close late and even have overnight respite to accommodate working caregivers. Local agencies and churches might have volunteers or informal caregivers who can stay with your loved one for specific hours while you’re working.
• Hire a home care agency for assistance. Hiring an Olympia caregiver from a licensed, reputable home care agency like FirstLight Home Care – South Sound to assist with your loved one during work hours can help you stay focused.
• Consider alerting your employer. Carefully weigh your decision to speak to your employer about your personal responsibilities and review your employee manual about available policies, benefits and services that might help your situation. Pay attention to possible changes in health and other benefits if you adjust your work schedule.
• Check out employee assistance programs. These programs typically provide free educational materials, workshops, resources and confidential referrals to support services, which may include eldercare services.
• Explore workplace options. Typical options that might help with caregiving responsibilities include: limited or unlimited paid or unpaid leave to provide eldercare without jeopardizing your job. While the Family and Medical Leave Act does not specifically require leave for eldercare, it does include leave for a family member with a serious medical condition; telecommuting or working from home; flextime or adjustable work hours; sharing a position with a co-worker by working alternating hours; and flexible spending accounts, in which employees set aside a tax-deductible portion of their salaries to pay for qualified expenses, such as medical care and services for dependents.
• Get organized at home. Make a calendar and prioritize activities; delegate tasks among family members and identify who can help cover for you if something comes up during your workday; and keep all important phone numbers and medical documents in an easily-accessible place.
• Maximize your lunch break. Use this time to take care of your own needs, such as taking a walk, socializing with friends or making non-work related calls, including scheduling doctors’ appointments.
• Maintain your own health. Get enough sleep and exercise, follow a healthy diet, socialize with friends and family, and squeeze in time to do other things for yourself.

Source: Care Crossroads