WORK LIFE BALANCE AND CAREGIVING

Work and Caregiving Duties: Balancing Work While Being a Caregiver

Navigating the challenges of being a caregiver while you are working can be daunting but with the right tools you can still be the best caregiver to your aging parents. Caring for your aging parents can be overwhelming and adding working on top of that? How is it possible to balance it all? Here are some tips to help you along the way. 

Tip #1

OUTSOURCING

Wherever possible outsourcing to support you can really come a long way. Doing things that picking up medications from the pharmacy, waiting in long lines, calling your loved one’s medical providers to request a refill can be so time consuming. This is where you can consider exploring mail order options. Not sure where to start? Call your aging parents' prescription drug plan provider and ask for assistance? If your loved one retired and is part of a union chances are your aging parent is eligible for a mail order pharmacy. 

Here is how it works: Instead of your doctor sending in prescriptions (which is all done electronically these days) they send the same prescriptions to the mail order provider, who then will verify the insurance to ensure it is covered and usually they will fill the medications for three months at a time specifically on drugs that are what they call “long term or maintenance” medications. This service allows you to save money as the costs to fill these medications are cheaper than going to your local pharmacy. CVS Caremark is one of those pharmacies that do mail order, again check with your loved one’s plan to see if this would be a covered benefit with their specific plan and which mail order pharmacies participate with their provider. 

Another example of outsourcing would be groceries, these days with the use of apps such as Instacart it makes it super convenient to go food shopping and get additional items such as toilet paper, paper towels, incontinence supplies and products along those lines at big box stores such as Costco, BJ’s, Sam’s Club where you can have them deliver essentials to your parents front door. How convenient is that? It saves you time from doing those time consuming tasks and frees you up to focus on other priorities. 

Tip #2

In lieu of keeping your caregiving journey a secret….

“telling a select few about your caregiving experiences can be a big help along the way”

NOT KEEPING YOUR CAREGIVING JOURNEY A SECRET

 In lieu of not telling anyone about your caregiving experience, it can be helpful to speak with others about your journey. You’d be surprised how much insight and support you can get just by talking to others about it. You don’t have to make a public service announcement but telling a select few about your experiences can be a big help along the way. By sharing your story it can provide you with a bit of resource of how others with similar struggles were able to get support. Some employers for example offer support through their EAP programs to help you with caregiving tasks such as offering consultations, financial help and more. Employers may have contracts with organizations such as Bright Horizons that provide resources to support the need of employees seeking guidance when caring for an elderly parent. Depending on your employer they may have a contract with an organization similar to Bright Horizons offering support such as linking you with an elder care attorney, assistance with private help and more. Reaching out to your EAP program can be a big help for you in your caregiving journey. 

Tip #3 

SUPPORT GROUPS

With the use of social media it is easy to find online support groups that can help you connect with like minded individuals going through similar caregiver struggles. Through these connections it can help you feel less isolated and be a great resource to help you. If your loved one is dealing with a specific illness, check to see if there is an association linked with your aging parent’s health condition as a starting point. For example groups like Alzheimer’s Association helps to support the needs of people impacted by Alzheimer’s and Dementia specifically. Looking for something more local? Check with your local Department of Aging which is a plethora of resources regarding support groups within your immediate area where you can connect with people that can also help you. 

Caregiving is Hard AF and no one really talks about the challenges. Previous generations just did it, but that does not mean that was the right way. We have the tools and resources available to us that weren't available ten plus years ago. Using the resources accessible to you, you can face these challenges with confidence, reduce stress and prioritize your own well being in the process. 

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