Work-Life Balance for Caregivers: Post-Pandemic Predictions

If there’s one particular positive after-effect regarding the pandemic, it’s the awareness generated for the plight of family caregivers. Finding a post-pandemic work-life balance will be without question an incredible challenge for people taking care of an older relative. As Lindsay Jurist-Rosner, CEO of Wellthy, explains, “Caregiving went from a silent struggle to being in the spotlight overnight.”

Businesses were unexpectedly tossed into the fire of navigating a world of balancing the safety of staff along with the need to keep up productivity. Here is what we discovered – and what we can expect for the future of work-life balance for caregivers:

• More telecommuting. Individuals who began working at home over the last year have, in some cases, proven their capability to be much more productive. Consequently, it is predicted that as much as 25 – 30% of the workforce in the United States will continue telecommuting at least a few days each week this year.
• Less stress. Eliminating the daily commute opens up extra time for self-care for family caregivers, while increasing peace of mind. This is particularly true for individuals who depended on public transportation and were concerned with compromised health safety. To help boost mental health, many employers are providing subscriptions to meditation and mindfulness applications.
• A corporate culture of caring. Working from home has opened up the personal components of our lives to employers, and this trend is likely to continue as we all try to find our post-pandemic work-life balance. Zoom meetings share our living spaces with each other, including the appearance of pets, children, and other loved ones. This means that the workplace is now more humanized, resulting in a more empathetic working environment.
• Emphasis on mental health. Along those lines, there's also now increased awareness of the need for attending to our mental health. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll revealed that up to 45 percent of adults experienced negative mental wellness effects as a result of the pandemic – and an even greater percentage in people who function as family caregivers for older loved ones. Many employers are now implementing techniques to take care of the mental health of their employees, such as offering virtual trips and adventures to present the chance to relax and escape.

Let Midnight Sun Home Care further help foster an improved work-life balance with our reliable respite care services. Regular, ongoing respite care is vital to the all-around wellness of family caregivers. Our skilled and compassionate caregiving team is on hand to help with anything from just a couple of hours each week up to around-the clock care. Contact us online or call us at (907) 677-7890 to schedule a free in-home assessment to find out more about why we’re the top-rated providers of Anchorage homecare services and care in nearby areas.