More and more adult children are helping their aging parent, while working and taking care of their own children at the same time. Balancing career and family life can be a very frustrating and overwhelming experience. It leaves very little time for you to take care of yourself too. In fact, many caregivers experience anxiety, guilt, depression, anger, isolation and exhaustion. See Managing Caregiver Stress for some suggestions on how to make sure you are taking care of your needs as you try to balance your caregiving, career and family responsibilities.

In addition to developing an action plan for managing work, caregiving and family, let your employer know that you are caring for an aging family member or friend. You might be surprised at how supportive an employer can be or what benefits and resources they might offer. If you are concerned about the impact that caregiving might have on your employment status, or if you feel that you have been treated unfairly with respect to your attempts to balance your paid work with caregving, consult the Ministry of Labour, Employment Standards Information Centre at 416-326-7160, or visit their website at www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/index.html.