Your mom or dad needs home care, but you aren’t sure they can afford full-time care. A growing number of millennials are taking over and providing some of the care their parents or grandparents need. AARP reports over 10 million millennials provide home care services.
Of those caregivers, about 3 of every 4 also work. Their jobs are in addition to the average of 21 hours a week they spend providing unpaid home care. About half of them do not tell their bosses that they also provide care, which can affect their jobs and potential for a promotion.
Enlist Help From Family Members
One woman shares her story of caring for her aging grandfather. At 18, she was out of high school and ready to go into college. Her grandfather fell and needed care. The rest of the family decided it would easiest if she moved in with him and provided the care in exchange for free rent. After two years, she’s burned out and no one wants to take over so that she can start her life.
If you opt to have a younger adult provide care to a parent or grandparent, make sure there’s a contract drawn up with clear expectations. The younger caregiver does need to move on at some point. You can’t forget that. It’s fine to have them help out but establish a schedule that allows them to also go out with friends, go to classes, or hold a job.
Everyone can chip in to help. Family friends, siblings, spouses, cousins, aunts, and uncles can all be part of a family caregiving team. You can create a schedule to share online with applications like Google Calendar. This helps ease burnout and also allows the senior to have ample opportunity to socialize with different ages.
Balancing Family Care and Jobs or School
One thing millennials must do is make sure they can manage the balance of caregiving duties and work or school demands. It’s not always possible to rely on other friends and family members. If that’s the case, you can rely on help from a home care agency. While the family caregiver goes to class or school, a hired caregiver steps in for a few hours. This helps to keep costs down without leaving a parent or grandparent alone for hours.
Find out more about home care services. Whether you need them for a few hours a week or every day, caregivers are there to help. Call an agency to get started.
Sources:
https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/home-care/info-2018/millennial-caregivers-work-life.html
When you are in need of care for a senior loved one, consider senior care provided by Golden Heart Senior Care. We have offices nationwide. For more information, call us today at (800) 601-2792.
