Managing Your Career (HBR Working Parents Series)

15

A Guide to Balancing Eldercare and Career

by Liz O’Donnell

Quick Takes

• Acknowledge the many roles you play
• Identify the support you’ll need
• Explore what benefits your company offers
• Share the basic facts with your boss
• Consider your legacy as a child

When my parents were both in their 80s and requiring more and more support from me, I found balancing their needs with my career incredibly challenging. For starters, I thought I was the only one at work who was struggling with eldercare. When my coworkers went out on parental leave to have babies, we would throw office showers and share our best parenting tips. When they returned, we would coo over the baby pictures they proudly displayed on their desks and offer assistance in juggling childcare ...