As parents get older, they may well need a lot more assistance than they did in the past, and adult children will often want to do all they can to help them. This might start with carrying out the weekly shop or preparing food to keep in the freezer, or perhaps visiting more often to help with housework and to take the parent out somewhere for some entertainment and company.
Eventually, however, there may well come a point when a decision needs to be made. If you are visiting more and more frequently, and if it’s clear that your parent or parents need a lot more help than your visits can give them, you’ll need to consider whether or not to quit your job and become a full-time carer for an elderly parent. Here are some of the things to think about when it comes to making this decision.
Can You Afford It?
The first question that you’ll need to ask yourself is whether or not you can afford to give up your job to care for your parents. Sometimes it’s not a matter of wanting to do this or not, it’s a practical matter of not being able to keep up with your bills if you stop work. Make sure you do all the calculations and ensure that, if you did stop having a regular income, you would still be able to manage.
It might be that you could sell your home and move in with your parents, but this will only work if you don’t have other family members to consider, or if they agree to the idea. Alternatively, your parent could sell their home and move in with you, giving you a shared pot of money to live on. There are also government grants and benefits that are paid to carers, so these can be factored into the calculation, too.
Will It Help Them?
You have to be honest with yourself and with your parent; will moving in with them and quitting your full-time job to care for them actually be of any use? If they are too unwell for standard care, if you know that you won’t have the patience or the skill to look after them, or if they are very much against the idea themselves, then you going ahead with the plan anyway may not work out; it could strain your relationship and actually make the situation a more uncomfortable one.
In this case, and if your parent cannot take care of themselves, then it might be best to look at signature-care-homes.co.uk. This would mean your parent is well cared for in a safe environment, and you can keep working. It could be the best situation for everyone. Alternatively, if your parent is able to take care of themselves but they need a little help, arranging for in-home care might be another viable option.
Will You Be Able To Re-Enter The Workforce?
There will come a time when your help is no longer required – your parent will either have passed away or have moved into a care home. At this point, what will you do? Will you be able to re-enter the workforce?
If this is something you are worried about, you can ensure you keep up with your studies, perhaps even gaining qualifications online while you care for your parent.
This would help you re-enter the workforce when you need to.