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Taking Care of Elderly Parents While Also Working
Caring for elderly parents while working is one of the challenging things to handle as we need to give proper attention both to our profession and elderly parents. As they age, changes happen physically and emotionally. Some tend to be emotional about the little things; however, we need to have a long patience and be understanding whenever we encounter this type of situation.
Moreover, time may come wherein you will be dealing with countless tasks about your job while the elderly parents also need your time; you do not know which one you will prioritize. With that in mind, we can say that appropriate management is vital in this situation because you should be mindful about balancing several responsibilities you have in your life. We need to focus on the things that truly matter so no seconds in our lives will be a waste.
Is it possible to take care of elderly parents while also working?
Did you know that caring for elderly parents while working is possible because there are ways that will be a huge help? People often think that one should choose or make a decision over these two essential things. Nevertheless, you need to analyze your situation because you do not always need to choose; you need to find ways.
Listed down below are the seven effective ways that will immensely help you in caring for elderly parents while working:
1. Organize your working schedule and know your availability.
People tend to work overtime so they can get a bonus. They will come home exhausted and will have no time for other things as they are too thrilled to get some rest. We should know how to balance everything around us.
Different and numerous responsibilities might sound too frustrating; however, in this case, all we need to do is be organized in everything we are doing. Know how to invest your time wisely. You can also make a schedule plotter or a planner so you will equally balance your responsibilities.
Work-from-home setup has become so popular nowadays. It is because it has lots of benefits, and one of them is having a flexible schedule. In this setup, you can work in the comfort of your home that makes everyone get too interested in this kind of job.
Caring for elderly parents while working is one of the best things in the work-from-home since we can check our elderly parents often.
2. Always check the elderly parents as often as you can.
As people age, their bodies started to get weak. Others got prone to illnesses. Checking them through the use of our phones, just like texting them or calling them every hour or every two hours, will not be a big deal. Ask them how do they feel or what they are doing would be utterly vital.
As they are your loved ones, you must know everything that is currently happening to them. Avoid showing them that you are very busy at your job and do not have time for them because that would make them feel bad.
If ever that you are working from home, it is better if you will check them often. Since this job setup is flexible, you should not spend a day without doing amazing things with them. Cooking and having lunch with them will make their hearts flutter.
3. Assure they are beyond secure.
Security is something that we all need. Caring for elderly parents while working can be handle by some of us. If we work on-site, it is the best choice to acquire a Closed-Circuit Television or CCTV. In that way, you will monitor what is happening to them while you are not at home. It will lessen the nervousness you feel if they do not answer your calls and texts because you are just one click away to see how they are doing.
Safety is essential to us, and we wanted to give it to our elderly parents because, in that way, we can show how much we care for them. It will make our hearts in peace knowing nothing wrong is happening with them as we can see them even though we are at work.
4. Go, have some sweet and deep talks!
With your schedule planner, take a look at your availability and use an hour a day to have some sweet and deep talks with them. Reminiscing memories, cheesy jokes, telling them how much you love them, recalling some of the trials that you overcame with them, and talking about how proud you are of them because they raise you will make them feel so good inside then so, you are.
Imagine having a good bond with your elderly parents; it is something that we will treasure forever. Giving half an hour or even an hour a day to this will not only give your parents peace of mind, but they will also feel proud of themselves because they raise someone who knows how to have a strong bond with their parents regardless of countless responsibilities.
5. Make the small things matter!
Regardless of what you are doing, always put your heart into it. Do your work not only for yourself. Do it for your loved ones. Set them as your motivation to strive harder.
If you are doing this thing, it is just a good sign that you are caring for your elderly parents while you are working. You must do your work not just for yourself, but also for other people especially, those who matter.
Giving them a hug, a bunch of kisses, singing their favorite song, and doing things that you know will make them smile matters. As they get older, they do not care that much about what you will buy or give to them because what matters to them is what you can do for them. Efforts truly count, and they appreciate it.
6. Have some fun by doing your favorite things together.
Doing certain things that remind you and your elderly parents of good times feels good in the heart. If you are working from home, it is better to spend your 1-hour break recreating your favorite dish when you were a child. You can also watch an episode of their favorite series while eating before you get back to your work. You can also play some board games you used to play with them when you were a child.
However, if you are working on-site, you can still spend your time with them, maybe not together, but buying their favorite foods will mean a lot to them because, in that way, they know that you remember them. It means that you are caring for elderly parents while working because you can give them a sweet smile on their faces by doing and giving them their favorites.
Honestly, it flutters us when someone remembers our favorites then, and so do parents.
7. Always ask if they are okay.
Elderly parents do not like it when they become their child’s center of concern. They do not want to disturb you from your work. That is why others hide what they feel about their physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual status. They always give us a sweet smile when they are in front of us. When they turn around, they are fighting their silent battles without us knowing. It shatters our hearts into pieces once we get to know about this kind of thing.
With that in mind, we should always remind our elderly parents that our shoulders are free to lean on, our ears are always ready to listen. Tell them that you are family. In a family, there should be no secrets from one another. Telling this kind of thing to them will not take you so long. Make sure you remind them how priceless they are. It will only take you a couple of minutes to tell this thing; it is essential to know what they feel inside. Caring for elderly parents while working is our responsibility.
8. Another Option
With Covid, more people found ways to work from home. For some, it was simply moving their work to their home. Others chose to form a new career path with a home-based business. But this is not a new concept for many others. Working from home, whether for a business or in their own business, has been the lifestyle of many before the pandemic, too.
Truthfully, this represents a good option for many families, including those caring for elderly parents while working. It might require a bit of adjustment, but it offers the best of both worlds when properly managed. You are home to provide needed care, make meals, and check in on your loved one. And they feel more secure, knowing they are not alone.
To manage this new lifestyle, you need to set boundaries and limitations on yourself and your loved one. Reasonable limitations, of course. Often, it requires you to be creative in managing your time and work. But for many families, it provides the ultimate solution.
Conclusion
Our profession and our elderly parents are the two vital things in our lives. It makes us feel fulfilled when we are responsible enough for this kind of thing. We all know our work is necessary because we get to pay the bills, needs, and such; however, we should never forget to take good care of our beloved elderly parents because we owe them our lives.
Others might think that it is such a tough decision to choose between work and our elderly parents, but honestly, you do not need to decide, and you need to use these seven simple ways as it will be a life-changer.
Caring for elderly parents while working is one of the best responsibilities ever bestowed on us because we can do the two things we love at the same time. We should put our hearts into this kind of thing. Once we did, it will always result in more great output. You will have fulfillment inside your heart, and it is incomparable.
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