Working remotely while caring for an aging parent can feel like being pulled in two directions. Both responsibilities require time, focus, and dedication, but with the right approach, it’s possible to manage both without burning out. Here’s how to care for a senior parent while working from home.

Caregiving means providing essential support to help a loved one carry out activities of daily living, such as bathing, cooking, housekeeping, and mobility assistance. Quality care ensures the recipient maintains their health, safety, and overall well-being.

According to the Family Caregiver Alliance, roughly 34 million Americans provide unpaid care to an older adult aged 50 or above. Unpaid care typically comes from family members including spouses, adult children, or relatives, whereas paid care is delivered by trained professionals.

With remote work becoming increasingly common, many family caregivers are now supporting elderly parents from home. The key is finding balance. By taking intentional steps, you can meet work demands while also providing the care your loved one needs.

How Do Working Family Caregivers Support a Senior Parent?

Balancing a career with caregiving responsibilities requires flexibility, planning, and support. Family caregivers often take on a wide range of tasks to ensure their loved one’s comfort and safety, all while managing professional obligations. Here are some of the most common ways they provide care.

1. Assess Care Needs

The first step in creating harmony between work-from-home arrangements and senior care is to assess the aging parent’s care needs and how they fit within the context of independence. By creating a home environment that facilitates autonomy, the caregiver is able to focus on work tasks.

Due to hearing impairments, the senior parent may no longer be able to hear conversations when speaking on the phone. Balance issues can make crossing a room a precarious event. Arthritis can prevent opening jars of food or cooking healthy meals.

2. Foster Independence

Mobility aids are useful when an elderly parent struggles with navigating the home safely. If Mom is prone to stumbles, provide her with a mobility device. A cane, walker, or rollator provides the older adult with extra support and greater confidence when navigating the home.

Provide the senior with visual and hearing aids when they live with sensory impairments. Phones can be amplified to allow the elderly to hear conversations clearer and large-print books are available to make reading less of a struggle. Electronic magnifiers are helpful, too.

Instead of interrupting work every few hours to remind the senior to take their medicine, family caregivers can rely on medication reminders featuring alarms. The system flashes lights and sounds an alarm when it’s time for the elderly parent to take their medication.

Install fall detection equipment and cameras throughout the home to monitor the senior parent from afar. Provide the older adult with a wearable device that alerts the caregiver if a fall occurs. Rubber jar grippers are the solution to arthritic hands and for those with limited dexterity.

3. Establish a Care Routine

A senior parent is less likely to interrupt the family caregiver during working hours when they know the times for meals, social activities, or appointments. Create a structured schedule so the older adult knows what to expect and when. Serve meals at the same times each day, for instance.

Fostering predictability also encourages the elderly parent to be independent. Knowing that exercise sessions are scheduled for the afternoons motivates them to engage in pursuits, such as getting outside for fresh air, talking with friends, or participating in a hobby, on their own.

4. Set Boundaries

Clearly define working hours and caregiving hours to the senior parent to avoid confusion. At the same time, be flexible in the event that urgent care needs arise. By being adaptable, the family caregiver can adjust their work schedule to accommodate the parent’s needs.

Communicate the caregiving responsibilities to the employer and colleagues. A boss and colleagues are more likely to be flexible and supportive when they understand the situation. Apprise coworkers of availability and response times so that they know what to expect.

5. Leverage Technology

Manage care and remote work responsibilities effectively by harnessing the power of today’s advanced technology. In addition to the aforementioned medication reminder systems, use virtual meeting tools, scheduling apps to manage medical appointments, and similar digital resources to stay organized.

6. Practice Self-Care

Taking time for self-care activities prevents burnout and allows the caregiver to maintain their level of productivity at work. Exercise, socialize with friends, eat healthy meals, and enjoy hobbies. Receive regular medical checkups to stay in good health and continue providing quality care.

7. Seek Support

Family caregivers are urged to seek support rather than attempting to handle caregiving on their own. Quality assistance is available from friends, relatives, or reputable home care agencies. Senior home care supports the caregiver’s efforts and makes a positive difference in the caregiving journey.

Elderly Home Care from Assisting Hands

When you are caring for an elderly parent at home and simultaneously juggling remote work, consider incorporating senior home care from Assisting Hands Home Care into the senior’s care plan. Our professional caregivers prioritize the physical, emotional, and social health of older adults.

We offer a wide range of non-medical home care services designed to help seniors remain independent and comfortable at home. Our caregivers prepare nutritious meals, provide light housekeeping, and offer timely medication reminders. By handling these daily responsibilities, we give family caregivers the valuable time they need to focus on work and other commitments.

Our care also extends to personal support, including respectful assistance with bathing and hygiene, reliable transportation to medical appointments, and meaningful companionship. Through friendly conversation, engaging games, enjoyable outings, and recreational activities, we help keep seniors active, connected, and free from feelings of boredom, loneliness, or isolation.

For added peace of mind, every caregiver is licensed, bonded, and insured. We provide flexible care options ranging from short-term respite care to overnight support. Each care plan is customized to fit your schedule while addressing your loved one’s unique needs, ensuring they receive the attentive, hands-on support they deserve.

Assisting Hands Home Care complements the care seniors receive from family caregivers. Prevent burnout by choosing our reliable elder care services, available to the elderly  in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach,  Boynton Beach,  North Palm Beach,  Palm Beach Gardens,  Wellington FL and the surrounding areas in Palm Beach County. Call at (561) 566-5989 to schedule your free in-home consultation today to learn more about how we can support your senior loved ones as you work from home.