There are several considerations that would help you make a decision to reduce your hours or leave employment, including: 1. the effects of the lost income on your family; 2. the loss of health insurance coverage or having to pay for coverage using COBRA benefits; 3. the loss of retirement contributions to employer plans and Social Security and the effects of breaks in service if you return to work; and 4. other choices for caregiving in your community that may allow you to continue to work. For more information on this topic, you may want to order the Virginia Cooperative Extension course "Protecting Your Retirement and Other Financial for Family Caregivers: What Every Adult Child Should Know": http://www.ahrm.vt.edu/assets/pdf/retirement_order_form.pdf.
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