Finding a healthy life balance is vital for family caregivers, and home care services can help.
It’s a delicate balancing act. On one hand, you’ve got your career, which provides you fulfillment, purpose, and of course, an income. On the other hand, you’re caring for someone you love. Trying to give 100% to both of these very important roles can leave you mentally and physically drained, with little if any time to care for yourself.
You are not alone. Nearly 6 out of 10 family care providers over age 50 are also working outside of the home. How do they maintain a healthy life balance?
How to Manage Caregiving With a Career
- Review your employee handbook. It might have been years since you’ve taken at look at the handbook you received upon employment. And back then, your personal circumstances probably looked different from how they look now. Go back and re-read the policies concerning family emergencies or medical needs, flexibility in working hours, and FMLA (the Family Medical Leave Act). If the company you are working for employs a minimum of 50 people, and you have worked there for at least 12 months (for at least 1,250 hours during those 12 months), you’re entitled to use up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave without concern about losing your job.
- Talk to HR. Once you’ve chosen to explore a modified working arrangement or to take some extended time away from work, schedule a time to talk to your HR representative. Explain the situation and the solution you would like to look into. You might also wish to see if there’s the choice to work from your home, either part or fulltime, even if just on a temporary basis. The sooner you have this talk, the better. You don’t want to wait until you are in crisis mode to attempt to come to a resolution.
- Consider respite care. Whether you opt to modify your work schedule to better support your caregiving tasks, or you decide to continue to dedicate yourself fully to your work, respite care from a trusted home care agency is a lifesaver. A professional caregiver can fill in any gaps in care, from just a few hours each week up to full-time, around-the-clock care. This allows you the freedom to decide to:
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- Work from home with caregiving help at your side, allowing you to focus on your work while still being present with your family member
- Work full-time while knowing a professional caregiver is at home assisting with personal care, preparing meals, offering transportation and companionship, providing light housekeeping, etc. to enable you to come home and just enjoy time with your loved one
- Find any combination of the two that best works for you, with a fully trained and experienced caregiver filling in the gaps accordingly for consistent care
At Home With You Senior Care, we partner with family caregivers in any manner that works best for them and the senior they love. Let us help you enjoy a better balance between your career and caregiving with award-winning respite care services. Contact us at 410-756-0959 to find out more! We provide home care in Towson, Owings Mill, and throughout the nearby areas.