Alzheimer’s Caregiving Issues Affect the Workplace

Many caregivers of Alzheimer’s family members must balance job commitments with responsibility for a parent or spouse or other dementia patient.  What happens when these two areas…caregiving and work…conflict?

As the number of those afflicted with Alzheimer’s appears to be growing, this issue of needing time off from one’s job (or at least more flexible hours) becomes a more pressing issue.  The caregiver needs the job to pay the bills, yet the Alzheimer’s patient requires more care.

As caregiving becomes more of a major issue to those with jobs, employers also are facing a situation that wasn’t so critical years ago.  How can a business keep going when employees aren’t there for long periods or need flexible schedules?

*Some employeers are handling this by enabling employees to work from home…at least parttime, if their job is one that can be done by computer. 

*Some caregivers are leaving their jobs and developing home businesses.

*State and federal lawmakers have begun to look toward legislation to find answers.

*Some employees are turning to litigation when an employer indicates they must be replaced by someone who can be on the job fulltime.

Two recent articles concerning this:

Family-Leave Values in the New York Times Magazine.

Work Life Balance Lawsuits Surging at the JDBliss blog.

When caring for my mom and aunt, fortunately I had a flexible work schedule.  I did substitute teaching and could refuse a job if Mother was having a bad day.  Or someone would cover until I could get Mother to the day care before going to school.  Also, I did writing work from home and could set my own schedule as long as I met my deadlines.

But, in talking with caregivers who do have fulltime jobs, difficulties occur when theirs is one without the possibility for a flexible schedule. 

There are legitimate concerns on both sides…the caregiver needs time to care for the Alzheimer’s patient (often in another state, as my mom was at first) and the employer needs employees who can fulfill his/her responsibilities for the business to stay in business.  More compromises are being worked out, but sometimes compromise is difficult because of the requirements of the job or the demands of caregiving.

This is an issue that will require more thought and action in the coming months and years.

Have you found a solution to a caregiving versus job commitment you can share with us?