The Working Family Caregiver, a Free E-Book
Jan 12 2012 in Denise's Blog, e-Books by Denise
Susan starts her day at 5 a.m. so she has a few moments alone to write in her journal. Then, it starts: Getting ready for work, waking her mom, waiting for the home health aide, updating the aide on the previous night, checking with her husband about which errands they’ll each run at lunch, then finally leaving at 7 a.m.
She leaves the house, but she takes the worries. How much longer will they be able to afford the home health aide? How well will her mother do on the new medications? When will she and her husband have some much-needed private time? When will her boss grow tired of her requests for a longer lunch break and an earlier work day?
Susan did her best to get seven hours of sleep last night, but with the worries weighing so heavy that she feels as if she hasn’t slept in years.
According to 2006 The MetLife Caregiving Cost Study, sponsored by MetLife Mature Market Institute and National Alliance for Caregiving, at least 6 out of 10 employed family caregivers make work-related adjustments for their caregiving responsibilities: 9% leave the workforce and 10% reduce their hours from full-time to part-time.
Caregiving is hard. Caregiving and working is really hard. In our free e-book, The Working Family Caregiver, we offer some quick, simple tips to help you manage two demanding roles that can complicate life. We hope the tips help you manage your experiences so you have minimal regrets.
Download The Working Family Caregiver, a free e-book, here.
Resources
1. Join Caregiving.com (it’s free!) to connect with other family caregivers. Sign up here.
2. Schedule a complimentary coaching call with Denise Brown, professsioal life coach and founder, Caregiving.com to learn how coaching can help you manage caregiving and your career. Make your appointment here.
3. Our caregiving books are good for your heart and soul. They’ll help you start your day (Good Morning!), find greater happiness (Take Time), feel understood (Take Comfort and Take Comfort, Too) and lead you through your caregiving years (The Caregiving Years). Through January 15, you can buy two books and get the second at 50% off. Buy here and use coupon code SECONDHALF305.
4. Finally, in case you missed it, download The Working Family Caregiver, a free e-book, here.
Jane Meier Hamilton said on January 12, 2012
A fresh approach and well written! Thanks, Denise.
Trish said on January 12, 2012
Thanks for the e-book, Denise! The “working caregiver” is a topic I am passionate about since I am one of them.
Craig Jennings said on January 13, 2012
Good stuff, Denise.
How can we promote you at our Caregivers’ Fair and Caring and Healing Circles?
check http://www.caringforthecaregiver.org.
Thanks,
Craig
roaringmouse said on January 14, 2012
Denise,
This book is fantastic! Unfortunately…it depresses me. Because it highlights all the things I can’t do.
I don’t have any family, friends, church, etc…to come and take over for me. The nursing company we have is only allowed 4 hours/day and that is because the LTD says we don’t need that much. (I”ve been fighting this since before I gave birth to our daughter. Can you transfer 180lb 5’11″man at 9mos pregnant? I had to.)
The Geriatric Association is a fantastic resource…but I can’t afford that.
Being pregnant and having my husband’s accident at the same time..I didn’t get to choose career or home. (No regrets if asking..) But now per the LTD I’m not allowed to make a living.
Because of what the LTD did my daughter and I had to give up health insurance so we could have more funds coming in the home.
My respite breaks occur in minute time. Such as today…when you’ve been seeing me write all day. My daughter and husband have been playing together all day so I write between their needs. I also got really lucky and there’s no laundry or dishes for me to do today. Everything else just got set aside. I guess you could say I’ve learned how to fit my “me” time in between life. But it would be fun to go out for lunch or dinner once in a while. I can’t do that because there’s no one who can come and cath my husband at those times. (Nursing charges $500 for four hours for that 10 minute item.)
I do have hopes and desires…I want a van for my husband to give us freedom to something silly like go out to dinner as family; I would love our daughter to be able to go to private school and me ….I have a dream….there’s a major emergency preparedness conference in DC every year put out by the Office of Disability Integration and Coordination..they even have scholarships – I’d love to go and finally meet and reunite with some of the people I know. In the meantime, my daughter and I took a small break only two minutes from our home and went to pet & feed horses. It was an awesome change of pace. We’ve been invited back.
Contingency plan: I don’t have health insurance, or a LTD for myself. We do talk about disaster preparedness “all” the time and constantly strive to build onto our kit. Food, medical supplies, etc. Another dream I have is that there is a medical bracelet to ID Caregivers. I’d love to have that both for myself and my daughter in case something were to happen.
If I’m sick, oh well…I’m the back-up too!
I did do a hand-out for National Preparedness Month down our street and added two sentences about my husband but there was no response. We do have two neighbors who check up with us every three or so.
But as you see the book did comfort me…as I have now realized…that we are obviously already aware of many of the topics you touch on. Why isn’t this book handed out in hospitals to new carees??
Good Awareness Article!!
Michelle Bayno said on January 18, 2012
You have written a great article. It is so important that caregivers do not feel isolated. I worked ten years as a social worker on a geriatric unit in a hospital. Too many times, i have seen caregivers burnt out, sick, and isolated.
Keep up your wonderful work.
Michelle Bayno