Are you taking care of your elderly parents and having trouble juggling the demands of work, family, and day-to-day life? If so, you’re not alone—far from it. In fact, 67% of family caregivers say they struggle to balance their career and caregiving duties, according to a 2024 survey by S&P Global and AARP.
Feeling frustrated and overwhelmed is an incredibly common part of being a caregiver, whether you’re caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s or dementia, a child who has special needs, or a relative recovering from an illness. At Thrive Senior Living, we know each family’s caregiving journey comes with a unique set of challenges. Here, we’ve compiled five ways family caregivers can stay grounded, reduce stress, and maintain work life balance while continuing to provide quality care.
1. Assess Your Situation
Start by taking a step back and identifying what support your aging parent may need, whether that’s physical, cognitive, emotional, or social. Are they struggling with mobility? Are they becoming depressed or isolated? Are household tasks becoming more difficult to manage? Determine what will provide the most immediate relief for your loved one, and don’t be afraid to reach out for help.
At Thrive communities, we understand that caregiving is so much more than assisting with meals and medications—in reality, true quality care is a natural byproduct of the genuine connections our team members create with residents. Each day, we cultivate a sense of appreciation for the older adults we meet and respect for a life well-lived!
2. Create a Shared Care Plan
Taking care of elderly parents can involve a whole range of tasks: helping them with activities of daily living like bathing and dressing, transporting them to doctor’s appointments, coordinating their medical care, providing socialization, serving as their advocate in the healthcare system, and more.
If you feel you’re starting to take on too much, don’t hesitate to reach out to your support network: your family, your friends, and your loved one’s doctors and specialists can all work with you to create a care plan that delegates the responsibility. Try alternating taking them to appointments, creating a rotating schedule, and checking in with each other virtually.
3. Gauge Your Workplace’s Flexibility
In recent years, many workplaces have begun to recognize the importance of work life balance, especially as more Gen Zers, Millennials, Gen Xers, and even Boomers demand it. If more flexible hours or remote work options are necessary to care for your elderly parents, don’t hesitate to contact your HR department and request those accommodations. Just be sure to take note of any paperwork deadlines for requesting leave. A good work life balance will allow you to fulfill both your professional and caregiving roles so both you and your loved one can thrive.
4. Prioritize Your Personal Well-Being
When you’re focused on the well-being of others, it’s extremely easy for your own well-being to fall by the wayside. But to be in the best position to care for elderly parents, it’s important to tend to your own health and happiness as well. At Thrive, we encourage caregivers who come to us to accept that, as much as your loved one needs and deserves quality care, you deserve to thrive, too! As they say, you can’t pour from an empty cup.
5. Consider a Move to Senior Living
If you’re feeling overwhelmed taking care of your elderly parents, but professional in-home care won’t provide enough support, it may be time to consider senior living options, if only for your own peace of mind. Transitioning your loved one to a senior living community can also be a great way to shift the dynamic from being your parent’s caregiver back to just being their son or daughter. Our focus at Thrive communities is to create vibrant, engaging environments where older adults can live purposefully, meet like-minded friends, and enjoy a sense of belonging. Once your loved one is ready, communities like Thrive can be an indispensable resource for care.
At Thrive, our experienced team is here to help you navigate your caregiving journey with cleareyed confidence. If you’re exploring senior living options for your loved one or just seeking more caregiver resources, our downloadable Caregiver Support Guide offers practical tips, encouraging words, and useful information to help lighten your load.
We also invite you to download our brochure, find a community and schedule a tour, or speak to an expert on our Thrive team to learn more about our family of senior living communities across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, and Texas, which provide independent living, assisted living, respite care, and memory care services.