Caregivers Connect Employee Resource Group
- Hosted by the Incredible Family Team -
Did you know that 75% of employees in any given organization identify as a Caregiver and are struggling to balance work and caregiving responsibilities? One of the biggest challenges for this critical segment of our workplace is elevated levels of stress and anxiety. When a loved one’s wellbeing is at risk, it can be hard to focus on anything else. This community will establish a safe space for employees to come to learn, connect, and share valuable resources.

Check out what’s in store for our Caregivers Connect Resource Group sessions!

Month 1: July 18

What hats do you wear?

What is a caregiver? Caregiving often sneaks up on us. For several caregivers, it is hard to pinpoint exactly where or when it began but before you know it you are responsible for a wide range of duties. Members will acknowledge and understand the separate roles they are experiencing and learn that they are not alone. There are many resources to help Caregivers understand the complex and challenging role.

Month 2: Aug. 8

How to balance career and care?

What matters most during this season of life? Finding the right balance between caregiving duties and your job can be challenging. Working with your employer, finding a workplace advocate, and connecting with a network are all ways to help. This season of caregiving is not forever and research states that when you take an active problem-solving approach you manage better. Members will establish priorities and gain clarity around what matters.

Month 3: Sept. 12

Proactive Caregiving

Caregiving is an important responsibility. Think carefully about what boundaries need to be set, what goals need to be achieved, and be more proactive about the caregiving journey. As a caregiver its important to remember that the role can present physical and emotional challenges. Working to meet this head on and find solutions is an important part of advocating for the loved one you are caring for. Strategies discussed include how to ask for help, clear communication, getting organized, and maintaining forward focus.

Month 4: Oct. 10

Caregiving across cultures

Caregiving, a role that cuts across cultural boundaries, is both a universal experience and a deeply personal journey as it is filled with love, sacrifice, and resilience. While the role varies across cultures, it unites caregivers in a shared experience. This piece is particularly for caregivers, especially women from diverse backgrounds, who often feel isolated within expected roles. Despite the differences in cultural practices, caregivers around the world share common threads which bind them together.

Month 5: Nov. 14

Preventing Caregiver Burnout

Caregiving is not an easy task. Attempting to balance caregiver energy required and self-care is the perfect recipe for burnout. Caregivers report elevated levels of stress as one of the biggest risks for this group. To be successful and avoid personal health risks, caregivers must strive to understand and recognize the stage of burnout and implement strategies to prevent it. 

Month 6: Dec. 12

Self-Care

Caring for yourself is one of the most important – and one of the most forgotten- things you can do as a caregiver. When your needs are taken care of, the person you care for will benefit too. In this session we will acknowledge some of the obstacles that stand in the way of self-care and create action items to begin to prioritize self-care and overall wellness. 

Month 7: Jan. 9

Learning from our emotions

Caregiving often involves a range of emotions. Some of these emotions are more comfortable than others. Learning to understand and manage your emotions is a valuable skill for caregivers. Our emotions are messages to which we need to listen. They exist for a reason. Even feelings such as guilt, resentment, and anger contain important messages. This session will focus on how to recognize emotions, learn from them, and take appropriate action. 

Month 8: Feb. 13

Get your affairs in order

We are never fully prepared for the caregiving journey. However, we can do many things to decrease the chaos and overwhelm that comes with the responsibility of caring for a loved one. In this session members will learn about a variety of tools and resources available to help compile all the things. Additionally, members will be guided through and exercise to build their personal Care Circle and an emergency workplace plan.  

Month 9: March 13

Communicating with Family

When taking care of an elderly parent, relative, or close family everyone needs to work together. The more people participating in care, the less alone the caregiver feels in his/her role. But often there are many perspectives and opinions. Disagreements and conflicts are inevitable. How do you go about including others and maintaining harmony? In this session we will explore what questions to ask and how to hold regular “care circle meetings” to keep communication lines open and reduce the risk of family conflict. 

Month 10: April 10

Managing Stress

Caregiving can be challenging and at times overwhelming. Frustration is a normal and valid response to many of the difficulties of being a caregiver. Frustration is caused by trying to change an uncontrollable circumstance. Frustration and stress over prolonged periods of time have a negative impact on our health. Learn the warning signs and how to combat frustration and stress in a positive way. 

Month 11: May 8

Advocating 

Caregivers’ relationships with healthcare professionals can be that of warmly appreciative partners or coldly suspicious antagonists. We want is best for our loved one and sometimes that can feel like an uphill battle. There are ways that caregivers can build mutual trust with the medical professionals for the sake of their loved ones and themselves. In this session we will outline what is helpful and harmful when it comes to advocating for our family members. 

Month 12: June 12

Show me the money!

The financial toll of providing for and paying for care is wreaking havoc on the lives of millions of Americans. Families are facing daunting life choices- and potential financial ruin- as the escalating costs of in-home care, assisted living, and nursing homes devour the savings and incomes of families. We need to shift our approach. This session will unpack some of the challenges as well as discuss some options and solutions to face this financial crisis together.  
Caregivers Connect Coaching Café
- Hosted by the Incredible Family Team -
These small groups are designed to further build community support beyond the ERG sessions. Members are encouraged to select the same group month to month as best they can. Invitations to the coaching cafés will be sent to ERG participants following each session.

Not What You Were Looking For? Try the Working Parent Resource Group here:

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