By Patrick Gaul
Wouldn’t it be great if caring for family members were as simple as it is in the animal world? Humans have a way of complicating everything. We work to provide for our family, but being at work keeps us from the family that needs us.
Approximately 4 percent of the phone calls that Ease@Work receives from employees pertain to concerns the employee has about aging parents. And, as the population ages, the number of calls we receive for eldercare increases.
In her blog titled “Caregiving Can Be a Balancing Act,” Ease@Work eldercare specialist Kathryn Kilpatrick describes a typical situation in which a woman struggles with the multiple responsibilities of being a caregiver:
“Not only was this woman caring for dad, but her mother was very hard of hearing and visually impaired. In a baby seat on the kitchen counter top sat a three month old. He was the caregiver’s first grandchild who stayed with her two days a week while his parents were at work.”
The woman Kathryn is describing is her client. However for the sake of this blog, let’s focus on the key member of the family who is not in this scene. This caregiver’s son or daughter is at work. Is this employee concerned about the stress that their mother is under due to the added responsibility of caring for the child as well as her parents?
I’d like to think the employee is concerned. If so, are thoughts of this situation causing a distraction at work? Most likely it is. Could one additional stressor in the caretaker’s situation cause this employee’s childcare arrangements to fall through? Absolutely. This is a great example of an employee with potential childcare needs as well as the eldercare needs.
This is a precarious situation, however, the assistance of an eldercare and childcare specialist can minimize the potential for family and work disruption. Fortunately, this caregiver is already receiving help from an eldercare specialist. Kathryn helps many Ease@Work employees every year. If you want to hear how this particular caregiver’s situation was addressed, follow the link above to read the rest of Kathryn’s blog.
Many employees prefer to have a trusted relative care for the child instead of an institutional daycare center. Whenever a relative is counted on to provide childcare arrangements, there is always the risk that the arrangements can fall through. A daycare center is more reliable than family in most cases because there is enough staff to fill in when an employee calls in sick. When a relative is counted on for childcare, it is important to have a plan in place for back up care beyond utilizing sick time to care for the child. Ease@Work’s childcare specialist can help with backup care arrangements for employees relying on a relative for childcare.
A close-knit family can be a real blessing and can make life much simpler for parents who are in the workforce. The situation in Kathryn’s blog brings into focus though the importance of taking care of your caregivers. Just because mom doesn’t “work” doesn’t mean that she is not working incredibly hard. Utilize the resources that are available through your EAP to make sure you are doing everything you can to help the caregivers in your life, and to be sure you are prepared with a back up plan.
