Mallika Kripalani, ECC Executive Coach based in Singapore, has written this article with working carers in Asia in mind.
In many Asian societies, the expectation is that daughters or daughters-in-law will assume the role of caregivers for elderly family members. A study from Duke-NUS on caregiving in Singapore found that 73% of caregivers are children or children-in-law, and almost three in four caregivers are women.1 This can lead to a perpetuation of gender-based caregiving roles, limiting opportunities for men to participate actively in eldercare. As societies shift towards more progressive perspectives on gender, the dynamics of caring for the elderly are undergoing transformation, but still have a long way to go.
Working caregivers often find themselves juggling the demands of a professional career alongside the responsibilities of caring for a loved one. The delicate balance between work and caregiving can be overwhelming, making resilience a crucial trait to develop. Given that eldercare in Asia is intricately woven into cultural norms and evolving gender roles, the importance of handling the multiple responsibilities of caregiving, often falls to women.
Being an unpaid carer for a loved one can be daunting and isolating. It’s not surprising that 50% of carers reported feeling lonely in a survey by Carers UK, when caring responsibilities mean less time for leisure, socialising, fitness activities and self-care. Employee-caregivers are 70+% more likely than employees who are not caregivers to say that they are worried about their physical and mental well-being.
What may be surprising however, is just how many carers there are. Across the Asia-Pacific, the number of employee-caregivers will grow to a total of 1.2 billion by 2035, an increase of 100 million on today. Employee caregivers already make up 60% of the workforce and more than 80% of them rely on care assistance to be able to attend to their paying job.
Working caregivers need to be proactive and employ strategies to enhance their resilience and maintain a healthier work-life balance. Some ideas are listed below but are by no means exhaustive. Our resource page offers many other articles which may help and balancing career with caregiving responsibilities is a great resource to tap into. Strategies to consider:
We often think of ourselves last when we are trying to juggle both work and caregiving. However, it is at this time that we actually need to prioritise and manage ourselves. “You can’t pour from an empty cup” – fill yourself up in order to help you care for others.
When we can lean on others, it helps us be more effective at both caring and managing our work life.
Having tried to juggle this aspect many times over the years, I cannot stress the importance of doing this on a daily, or even weekly basis.
Courageous conversations with your line manager, HR business partner or your team, can have excellent benefits in helping you cope. Quite often people are willing to help if you ask, but if they don’t know you need the help, then it’s difficult for them to offer it.
What works for you to help you reduce stress? Find a routine that works for you and incorporate this into your day. You can try to:
As someone who has had to balance between caregiving and working, I know that many of the strategies I have shared here have been of enormous benefit.
In the increasingly complex landscape of working caregiving, resilience is a vital asset. By prioritising self-care, building a robust support network, managing time effectively, and embracing adaptability, working caregivers can navigate the challenges more effectively.
Remember, resilience is a journey, and these strategies can contribute to a healthier, more balanced life for both the caregiver and those they support.