Many long-distance caregivers find themselves in your situation of still needing to provide long-distance care but not having any leave time to do so. One of the first things to explore is what benefits your employer offers. If your place of employment has more than 50 employees, it is required to offer paid family leave through the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). To learn more about the FMLA, go to www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/.

Another suggestion is to discuss your caregiving situation openly with your supervisor and co-workers. Together you may be able to develop a plan of action for when you need to be gone. Open and honest communication will also help everyone gain a better understanding of the connections between family caregiving and the work environment.

Besides exploring your leave options with your employer, investigate what kind of help you can obtain from family, friends, and neighbors who live near your family member. Often individuals in the community would like to lend support but don't know what is needed, so ask! Be specific in what you need them to do, and set up systems for you to communicate regularly with them or for how to get in touch with you in an emergency. Another option is to explore community services within the care recipient's community.

A call to the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) or local department on aging near your family member's home can help you identify these resources. The ElderCare Locator can help you to find the nearest AAA. Call 1-800-677-1116, or visit the ElderCare Web site at www.eldercare.gov.

One service that may be available is called case management or care management, in which a professional assesses the needs of your family member and identifies the local services available to help. In many cases, the care manager will coordinate the delivery of the specific services your family member needs. For a fee, private geriatric care managers usually offer comprehensive care management and will work with you via phone or e-mail to reduce the number of trips you will have to take to help your family member with practical problems of daily living such as getting to medical appointments, housecleaning, and personal care, as well as bigger issues such as crisis management and relocation. Consult the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers organization for information on finding and hiring a care manager: www.caremanager.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=71.

Reference:
Corporate Eldercare Programs: Their Impact, Effectiveness and the Implications for Employers. LifeCare Inc. February 2008. http://lifecare.com/news/archives/study_0208.html.