About 41 million Americans are serving as caregiver for a loved one, and about 6 in 10 of them are doing so while also trying to earn a living.
Many working caregivers report health problems, depression, and lost time and lower productivity at work. If you’re taking care of an aging or ailing family member, you may also find that you have cut back on community involvement and are spending less time with other loved ones and friends.
If you are frequently distracted at work, emotionally drained and physically exhausted, consider the following steps to find workplace solutions and build a caregiving support network.
Brett Harnett is the founder of HiLois. He joined the faculty at the University of Cincinnati in 2004 and serves as the Director for the UC Center for Health Informatics. His academic appointment is in Biomedical Informatics. He is a member of the UC Institutional Review Board focused on use of technology protecting research subjects. Prior to joining UC, Brett was the Director of Experimental Information Technology for a NASA-sponsored research program in Virginia and a Systems Analyst at Yale University in Connecticut. He covers clinical informatics, healthy aging, technology, research and all things data for the HiLois blog.