13 Oct How To Balance Work And Life
And, why it is important?
Happy Fall!
Ah… changing of leaves and coolness in the air feels great. And… oh, taking care of your loved one is taking a toll.
Do you feel like you have multiple jobs? One is your actual place of employment, and the other is caregiving for your parents or family member? Approximately one in five employees in the United States provides caregiving tasks to their loved ones. Many employees are leaving their jobs or taking unpaid leave to provide and coordinate care for their family members. How does your caregiving interfere with work/life balance? More and more employees struggle with work and life balance due to caregiving. Approximately 70% of caregivers are concerned about their jobs while caring for their loved ones.
Some caregiving responsibilities include:
- Coordinating with doctors
- Helping to age in place or find assisted living
- Calling insurance companies, most of which can only be called upon during the day.
- Scheduling tests and appointments
Every year, 10 million new cases of dementia each year worldwide. In addition, there is a rise in complex pediatric instances in which multiple providers need involvement. What does this mean? Your parents or loved ones will need someone by their side to navigate their care. This brings on unwanted stress for all (you, your employer, your family/your personal life). One of my clients complained he spent so many hours caring for his mother that he was close to losing his job. Multiple phone calls during company time required him to take vacation days or unpaid leave to coordinate his mother’s care.
The excellent news is support for caregivers is starting to get noticed, and more and more companies are adding the resource of a patient advocate to support their employees. Here are some ways to balance being a caregiver while your work:
- Request flexible work hours
- Work from home
- Research paid leave
- Get help from your community
- Schedule time for self care
- Hire support
Patient advocates give you the time back in your day and free you from worry. We do substantial in-depth work providing realistic expectations that support you while you focus on your career or family. Consider adding a patient advocate to your team.
As your health advocate, I help busy people like yourself navigate the healthcare system professionally and efficiently to free you from worry!
