Working from home and caregiving takes planning.

As a caregiver, life changes. There are so many factors of caregiving that interrupt our lives. I’m not one that will ever whine and say caregiving is a doom and gloom life sentence. There is such joy and fulfillment that comes from caring for someone you love. But what I will say is that caregiving keeps us on our toes for sure. When we learn to be efficient at it, not perfect, the days can become lighter, but we must work at it. We must always be pivoting, working toward regaining a sense of homeostasis in our lives.

Here is an example of a daughter seeking help in balancing the act of caregiving and working from home. A call from a podcast listener:

Carla works from home, she has been since the pandemic and she loves it. She is grateful for it because she is the primary caregiver for her mom who lives with her. Mom recently fell and sustained a hip fracture, had a hip surgery and now needs much more help than she did before.

Mom is now anxious and always calling daughter and even attempts to get out of bed unassisted, which is not safe.

This is the scenario from a daughter, Carla, who called in and the message left on the Caregivers Finding A Foothold Podcast call-in line.

Carla states that mom has light memory issues but was able to do everything for herself prior to the fall. Mom now has pain and weakness and needs help with her ADLs. She is now receiving OT/PT in the home but is not yet able to safely use a walker, she must be assisted into the wheelchair.

With the additional care duties, Carla is very concerned that she may jeopardize her ability to remain a remote worker, because she is not as productive now. Her employer is able to monitor her time away from her screen, and her work is not completed in a manner that it was prior to mom’s fall.

Carla also states that she struggles to do some of the new responsibilities: it takes a long time to attend to Mom’s personal care needs in the bed, states it takes her up to 45 minutes to change an undergarment, often having to change the linen a couple times a day, which also interrupts her work time.

Carla cannot afford to hire a caregiver, and wants to know what options are available to help her better tend to her mom’s needs while still being able to work from home.

Tips to Improve Working From Home while Caregiving

Carla, I want to start by saying, I too worked full-time then part-time while caring for my mom. I was not a remote worker, but I did have a very flexible schedule as a home health employee.

I, fortunately, was able to hire a part-time caregiver, therefore allowing me to continue to work. But there were many times when I felt that I needed to be in two places at one time while caring for my mom. I was often cooking dinner, helping the boys with schoolwork, or doing at home work charting and I needed to also know when my mother needed my assistance or when my mom was attempting to do something she was not safe to do. Using a video monitor to help me see my mom remotely became essential.

Remote monitoring and communication through use of camera system.

Use of camera devices which allow you to monitor the activities of a loved one can help you to be in more than one place at a time. A simple camera device placed in your mom’s room can allow you to see her and to talk with her using an app on your phone. There are also some devices that can also allow your mother to also see you, thereby allowing her to see and talk with you while you remain at your workstation in the next room. Being able to see and talk with you at regular intervals can reduce mom’s anxiety and feeling of being alone. Use of audio motion sensors/alarms in addition to a camera system may also be a benefit if increased concerns of falls exist and you are not able to visually attend to a video monitor.

Time out of bed to participate in tasks.

You mentioned that mom was receiving home health OT and PT. When properly trained by OT and PT to transfer mom out of bed, set a routine for mom sit in her wheelchair and maybe sit closer to you while also giving her things to do. Look for simple laundry folding tasks, simple meal prep tasks or even a craft task that she can do to stay busy. Because mom was busy doing things for herself before, maybe she is now bored and in need of activities to fill her day and to feel useful.

Don’t forget to take care of yourself.

It is not all about work and caring for your mom. It is also important to take care of yourself. Have a schedule for yourself as well. Remember to eat. Remember to drink water. Make your workspace calming by playing soft music in the background. Consider talking with your employer. Do you feel that it is safe to talk to your employer about your caregiving responsibilities? Have you looked at options for modifying your work schedule or hours?

Second Concern of Carla:

Carla’s message also mentioned a concern about not knowing how to change an adult undergarment in bed, and needing to how to decrease the time needed to perform the undergarment change from 45 minutes. It takes practice Carla. It takes learning how to layout the undergarment in the bed in the correct location, using body landmarks to make sure the tabs will be correct so that it fits properly. And when donned properly and when utilizing bed pads, it should minimize need to do repeated changes of linen. This need can be addressed by the home health OT, she can provide the training you need on how to perform the task while minimizing physical straining and stress on your body. Hopefully, mom will soon be able to advance to use of the bedside commode.

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Bottom line:

Working from home is a great benefit when you are a caregiver, but it does come with challenges. The key is to develop a work-caregiving schedule to follow. Set a routine for how your day will flow — balancing your work responsibilities, your needs and mom’s care needs. There will likely be some unplanned interruptions, but having a routine can help to add order to your day and to set in play a plan that your mom can learn to follow and can decrease some of her anxiety. Explore the option of talking with your employer. Can you reach out to other employees who are also caregivers? See what type of support is available through the Employee Assistance Program. Support groups and group coaching are also a benefit. Reach out to me for more info if needed.

Carla, I hope this helps. Thanks for calling in. Thank you for caring for your Mom!

Disclaimer: The podcast and blog are intended to provide basic information so that you can become a more informed caregiver. The information presented is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not meant to serve as medical advice or replace consultation with any health care providers you regularly engage with. Transmission or receipt of any of this information is not intended to, and does not, create a therapist-patient relationship. This information is not provided in the course of a therapist-patient relationship and is not intended to constitute medical advice or to substitute for obtaining medical advice from a physician or therapist licensed in the state where your family may reside. We encourage everyone to consult with your physician or therapist to see if they are appropriate and safe for you.