7 Tips For Caregivers With A Full-Time Job!

Like many caregivers out there I held down a full-time job while caring for my parents. I look back now and wonder how on earth I managed to survive working full time while caregiving, keeping that schedule and handling that pressure. It was perhaps one of the most challenging times in my life and there were moments when I thought I could not go on. When the going got rough I did a lot of praying and calling on family and friends to hear me out and help me out. I pulled it off by doing everything I could to make it easier on myself. Here are a few of the ways I survived this brutal and stressful schedule. Tip #1. Tell your employer if you can. I let my employer know I would be pitching in to help my parents. When I did take time off it wasn’t a surprise and they understood how important it was. I know there are so many of us who remain silent for fear of losing our jobs. We don’t feel comfortable alerting the higher ups. By all means, only alert your employers if you feel safe to do so. If it does feel safe let employers know you are caring for others and see what the possibilities are for you now or in the future. Some companies are beginning to acknowledge the role of caregivers and offering time off with pay. Hopefully, this trend will spread and become standard procedure. Tip #2.  Work part time or from home.  You could request to work part-time or reduce your hours if this is feasible financially or perhaps you could work from home. In today’s marketplace working remotely from home is becoming the new normal. Finding a position that allows you to stay at home might greatly improve your ability to monitor your loved ones and reduce stress. Tip #3. See if you are eligible for compensation. If you do reduce your hours or are thinking about going from full time to part time see if you would be eligible to be paid to take care of your loved ones. Some long term insurance plans and veteran benefits allow payment for caregivers. Reach out to your local and federal agencies to see if you can apply for compensation. Tip #4. Put together a team.  One of the best things I did for myself was put together a team of family and friends who were super reliable and willing to help me. Caregiving takes a village and having people help and pitch in on a weekly or daily basis saved my life. I had family friends who would take my parents to doctors appointments when I couldn’t  and I had people I could count on in emergencies. I was truly blessed with my “team” and benefited from swallowing my pride to reach out and get help from people who loved my family. Tip #5. Investigate local senior day care. Senior day care is becoming a wonderful alternative to seniors staying home all day.  Check with your church, community center, Google senior day care, ask your doctors for recommendations and call your local agencies such as Alzheimer’s Association to find a location near you. These are wonderful programs that help to socialize and stimulate your loved one and give you peace of mind when you are at work. Tip #6. Have faith.  This one is the hardest tips but the most rewarding. Believe that because you are a caregiver and giving such amazing service to someone else, you will manage to handle it all. It was amazing (though I didn’t often see it at the time) how things worked out and how I was able to adjust my schedule to the amount of care my parents needed. In the long run, it all worked out. And all the things I worried about never happened. Tip #7. Take extraordinary care of yourself. It may seem nearly impossible to put yourself first, but you must. Caregivers are warriors with a sense of responsibility and commitment that allow us to soldier on no matter how difficult it becomes. However, the damage to our bodies and souls can be devastating and is only offset by radical self-care and awareness. When you are keeping such an intense schedule and doing double duty every decision you make must take your own well-being into the equation. Rest when you can, reach out for help and support, exercise, eat healthily and be aware of you limitations and breaking points. Anything you can do to soothe yourself must be a priority.You will survive this time and you will walk away with no regrets about the care you give to those you love. Make sure there are no regrets about the care you give yourself.  Make all the adjustments you need to your life and schedule so that you are as comfortable and stress-free as possible. Be open with and reach out to anyone who can provide you with understanding, You will survive this time and you will walk away with no regrets about the care you give to those you love. Make sure there are no regrets about the care you give yourself.  Make all the adjustments you need to your life and schedule so that you are as comfortable and stress-free as possible. Be open with and reach out to anyone who can provide you with understanding, relief, and consideration when you need it. You may have to make major changes to your career and work life to be able to manage your caregiving role. Trust that those changes will not only benefit your loved ones but since you make them in the service of someone else, they will be the right ones at the right time and may bring blessings you never expected. Please share your experience as a working caregiver. What strategies help you meet the challenges of working and caregiving?