Once you hit a certain age, there’s a chance you’ll begin taking care of your parents or grandparents part-time. This is something that many children volunteer to do and will try to balance it out amongst their siblings and their spouse. Needless to say, it can feel like a challenge having to tend to your aging or ill loved one while you’re also in the process of trying to handle your career and personal life. It can get too overwhelming to the point where you may even feel guilty for not doing a good enough job.

 Caregiving is a lot of work and this can include dressing, going to appointments, feeding, bathing, and it can even go far beyond that. To a degree, it’s one of those stages in life that many people go through, even if it’s just a temporary stage.  While there are benefits to being a caregiver to your loved one such as having a closer relationship, there are more downsides to it. You’re not a superhuman but in some situations you just have to try and handle it the best that you can and try to strike a balance. These are tips for creating a balance between being a caregiver and your career.  

 

 

Look into workplace benefits for caregivers

 

Since caregiving is one of the more common stages in life that a professional will eventually go through, it’s natural that some employers will be away from this and will try to find ways to be flexible to help out their employees. You can do some research yourself but check to see if your company has the following help for caregiving employees:

• Counseling
• Support services
• Eldercare referrals
• Flexible work options
• Additional PTO for caregivers

Alternatively, you can ask or even share some of your ideas with your boss, HR, or upper management. Some employers may not have any policies yet for caregivers but can be very open to doing so with a discussion.

 

Look into ways to make your work easier

 

This could be as simple as outsourcing your work, asking for help from a coworker, or even switching to working remotely. Since you have a lot going on and trying to balance all of this out, it’s best to look into things that will make it easier. If you can, try to work smarter, not harder. Sometimes just having the chance to work remotely can do wonders for our schedule.

 

Reach out for help

 

If you’re taking care of your parents, reach out to siblings for help, even your spouse. Don’t try to do all of this on your own. Talk to your loved ones about what they would like and how they feel.  The person that is getting taken care of usually doesn’t want to make it any more difficult than what the situation already is. Look into assisted living facilities, these can be very helpful, plus they give the opportunity to your loved one to interact and be active.

 

Look into helpful programs

 

Depending on where you and your loved one live, there may be a local program that can help caregivers. Trying to balance out your job and caregiving can be stressful and even downright expensive. But there are supplemental services available that can help you and your loved one through a support program.