Keep a Job While Caring for Older Relative

Sept. 11, 2007 — -- Even though eldercare demands require an extraordinary investment of time -- and can easily be a full-time responsibility -- whenever possible as a caregiver, you should try to keep your hand in work, even if it means cutting back hours or changing positions or employers.

While it's definitely not easy, if you can manage to do so there are some distinct benefits to keeping your hat in the ring at work.

Money: This is most obvious of all. Some income is of course usually much better than no income at all.

Stimulation/distraction: It's very difficult to spend 24/7 watching your loved one suffering from illness. For some people, work is a welcome distraction, even if only for a few hours a day. The people I talked to all said it uses another side of their brain and gets them out of the house for a chunk of time. And it enables them to interact with people other than doctors and insurance companies, which can be a welcome change too.

Avoids gap in experience: Ultimately, most caregivers have to go back to work. Either their care-giving obligations end because they lose their loved one or that loved one transitions to a full-time care facility. If you've remained employed and connected to your professional network, the transition is often easier than for those who've had to bow out altogether. Returning to work after a gap -- although not impossible by any means -- can be difficult and depressing, especially at a time when you're least able to deal with yet another blow.

Since only about 25 percent of all businesses offer any kind of eldercare benefits, according to a 2007 AARP survey, most employees must fend for themselves. There are two key issues to keep in mind:

Talk to your employer. Don't be shy about letting your employer know what's going on. You don't have to wear your heart on your sleeve or share every nitty gritty detail of what's happening with mom or dad. That can actually backfire when your boss worries that you're suddenly going to tune-out of work, even though you have no such intention.