Identifying with being a Caregiver

Here at LTS we are happy to see a discussion beginning about what employers can do for their caregiver employees. Most caregivers balance full-time employment with their caregiving responsibilities. This combination of responsibilities can affect your work in a variety of ways - missed work days, decreased productivity, reduction in pay to name a few ways. The role of caregiver can develop slowly into a full-time job. Sometimes, helping a parent out with a couple of bills becomes managing all of their finances. Many people don’t necessarily wake up one morning with the new role of full-time caregiver, so it can be difficult to realize that these added responsibilities mean you are a caregiver. A recent article from HR Executive Online offered some tips on recognizing that you are a caregiver. Here are some indications based on your answer to these questions.

• Do you visit someone or check in on them on a regular basis because of concerns about their well-being?
• Do you help with bills?
• Do you help with grocery shopping?
• Do you help with appointment scheduling?
• Do you help with transportation, such as driving an aging parent around?
• Do you worry about whether they are taking their medications?
• Do you feel stressed because of these responsibilities?

All of these and more indicate that you are a caregiver. Identifying with the role of caregiver will free you to seek help. There is a vast amount of information available about resources to tap into for help. There are also communities of people in similar situations to connect with, learn from and share successful coping ideas. You can also work with your employer to see if there is any support that might be available through your human resources department. Finding those sources and using them can help alleviate stress. The article from Human Resources Executive Online does a great job of describing the different aspects of caregiving and working, as well as possible solutions to this combination.

Here is the article from Human Resources Executive Online: Caring for the Caregivers, and here is the article from our Anne Harrington, our COO, about what employers can do for their employees: Employer Assisted Care: Not Just for Children.