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Working caregivers: what's your daily schedule look like working a full time job and also caring for a homebound person full time?

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aj6044: Imho, I cannot fathom holding down a fulltime job when you've already got a fulltime 'job' of being a caregiver. For me, it was already difficult enough to move out of state and in with my late elderly mother since I was already an elder myself.
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No one can do it alone.
It's just a matter of time for burn out.

You need a life.
You can't work all day and be someone's Caregiver, especially if they can't do most for themselves.
Even if you work from home, you still need "Me Time" rather it be getting a Sibling, family member, friend, Caregiver. Ect to give you a break at least once or twice a week so you can recharge.

See if you can get loved one into day care to be around other Seniors a few days a week.
Sone places will pick them up and bring them back home and it's free. Call your City's Senior Aging Dept and see what they have to offer.

If they were ever in the Military, they can get up to 30 hrs a week help.
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Caregivers that work and don't hire help ....
I can not imagine doing that.
Caregiving can and most times is a full time job.
Working is a full time job.
You can not honestly give 100% to both. If you do you will not last long at either or be good at either.
On days I did not have a caregiver this was my schedule.
5:30 get up, 45 minutes on the treadmill
6:15 to 7:00 brush teeth, shower dress, let dogs out, feed dogs
7:00 get my Husband up. Hook him into sling for Sit to Stand, hoist up, get him on shower wheelchair, get him into bathroom, remove clothes, brief, place chair over toilet, brush teeth, wheel him into shower, bathe, dry, dress, hook back up to Sit to Stand, into wheel chair.
8:00 Breakfast.
Changing or checking his briefs and changing his position was done every two hours so 10, 12..at that change I would give him lunch. Then check and change again at 2 and 4 Dinner at 5. He went to bed at 7 so that would be the last change I would do then and change position and change briefs was done at about 10 when I went to bed then a change again at about midnight and again between 2 and 4.
Between all this I would do
Laundry, mostly his
Clean bathroom
Get meals ready, puree them and freeze so I would have extras.
Trust me the days I had a caregiver come in was like a vacation day for me even though they were here from 9 until 4. I still did all the morning and evening stuff. And I never asked a caregiver to do the laundry, I did ask them to fold and put away my Husbands things.
Things slightly changed when we/he went from a Sit to Stand to a Hoyer Lift. At that point getting the sling under him took a bit more time but not that much what changed was the time it took me to change the bedding since most of the time I was changing it while he was in the bed. So it was coordinating rolling the sheet, rolling him side to side to get the soiled sheet off without contaminating the clean one then getting the clean one on. Much easier to do with 2 people so I was grateful to have a caregiver...
You can not do this without help.
You will become burned out, resentful, exhausted. It is not healthy mentally or physically. As a caregiver your world becomes smaller as friends drop by the wayside, without a caregiver's help you are adrift in a very large ocean.
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Taarna Sep 2021
That is pretty much the schedule for all home care clients - whether they are cared for by family members or home health aides. I applaud your dedication and hard work.

You are correct that this is a hard life to sustain since it requires full time caring. I noticed the shortened sleep and lack of other social outlets. I agree that having others help, in any capacity for whatever amounts of time, is a blessing and money well-spent.
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If caring for Mom is burning you out, then u may want to find a nice NH for her. If she is low income, then u could get Medicaid to pay for her care.
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If you work full-time and the homebound person lives with you, who stays with them during your work hours? I ask this because that person would be the one to talk to.
You need more help. Even if you hired another caregiver a couple of nights a week to give you some down time. Many times people who have never been a caregiver to an elderly person think that if the caregiver has a job outside the home then work is respite from caregiving. It's not. Bring in more homecare a couple nights a week.
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I'm posting what you wrote in your profile because it is helpful information:

"Caring for my mother who is a stroke victim, alcoholic, memory impaired, and incontinent. She has home health care."

I think "schedule" will be very different for each person's circumstance. Most importantly will be the need for you to make sure you avoid burnout by making yourself and your physical, mental, and emotional health a priority. You don't mention her age and if she's in her 60's you may be caregiving for a long time.
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