☀️🍂 Saying Goodbye to the Summer Sandbox: Succumbing to Caregiver Fatigue in London, Checking on Your People, and 3 Actions You Can Take This Week!
🌴 When I launched #TheFamilyHealthcarePlaybook’s Summer Sandbox series, my goal was simple: to encourage you to take time during the summer months to get your family’s “healthcare house” in order. I shared some advice and quick tips I’ve learned over the years that have helped our family. If you missed the posts, you can check them out here, here, here, and here.
🍇 ✅ Between community conversations on Martha’s Vineyard, crossing the pond to London, and some virtual caregiving advisory sessions in between, my time in the Summer Sandbox has been eye-opening.
Real Talk: Tapping out is OK!
💂 In London, my schedule of meetings and book tour activities ended up being a bit lighter than I’d originally planned. I was also a bit more wiped than I’d realized going into the trip.
So, I tapped out. Literally.
😴 🎼😴 I slept, caught up with friends, listened to some incredible live music, walked the city, and slept some more. Of course, I was silently berating myself (“Stay productive, Karesha; Go! Go! Go!"), but my body said, “Nope. Karesha Stop. Let’s sleep.” So I did.
This was a gentle reminder to me, and to anyone else in the midst of caregiving, that sometimes you need to take a break, and that’s okay. By the way, the learning didn’t stop.
In Case I Needed A Reminder... Caregiving is a Global Crisis
💂 Despite a lighter meeting schedule, caregiving was still front and center in London. I had several conversations that reinforced what I already know to be true: Caregiving is truly a global crisis. Did you know there are more than 5M+ unpaid caregivers (“accidental” or “hidden” caregivers) in the UK? And that 1 in 7 employees in the UK are balancing work alongside caring for a loved one?
💂 While policies like the recent Carer’s Leave Act, which allows UK employees to take a week of unpaid leave to manage caregiving responsibilities, are steps in the right direction, legislation alone won’t fix this. Whether you’re navigating the NHS or dealing with private health insurance in the U.S., family caregiving is a thing, and employees need support.
Which leads me to my next point….
❣️ Check On Your Friends. And Employers: Check On Your People.
That phrase “check on your strong friends” has bugged me at times. I absolutely get the point: Yes, check on the ones who appear to have it all together because they may be silently struggling. But these days I feel like everyone is going through something. And with caregiving in particular, my advice is simply “Check on your Friends. And Employers: Check on Your People. Period.”
🍁 Right after Labor Day, the energy shifts. You can feel it: summer is winding down, kids are back in school, and QBRs suddenly take on a renewed sense of urgency and importance. The end of the year is in your sights. And while some employees may be invigorated by this fall sprint, others are barely dragging themselves out of bed each day.
🍂 For employees who are also caregivers, the fall can feel particularly overwhelming. Maybe you didn’t have those family healthcare conversations over the summer. Or maybe you didn’t get around to making that appointment with the estate planning lawyer, researching that assisted living facility, or scheduling that overdue health scan. Or maybe you did accomplish everything on your summer to-do list, but now you’ve realized that an aging parent’s needs have escalated beyond what you can handle, and you have no idea what to do next.
To CEOs, People Ops, HR leaders, and managers: please don’t wait until one of your employees suddenly takes medical leave or worse, resigns, simply because they’re drowning in caregiving stress and logistics.
✅ Audit your Employee Assistance Programs and caregiver support benefits.
✅ Activate your Caregivers ERG and host a session to share advice and toolkits for caregiving employees.
✅ Ask the Question in your next 1:1: “How can we help support your reality outside of work?”
🏠 And for Everyone, Here are 3 Actions You Can Take This Week
1️⃣ Check on a Friend Who May Be Caregiving. Send a text, or better yet, a voice memo (or just pick up the phone) and call to say hello. Don’t put pressure on them to come up with a response when you ask if they need anything; instead, offer something concrete. For example, “I’m dropping off dinner on Wednesday evening,” or “I’m thinking of you and your loved one today; no need to text back, just know you're on my mind.”
2️⃣ Set Up A Call With An Estate Planning Lawyer. Focus on reviewing key advance directives for healthcare and finances, and ensure all documents are up to date.
3️⃣ Make a Plan for National Family Caregivers’ Month (November)
For Workplaces: If your company, Caregiving ERG, or healthcare organization is planning programming for November, start the conversation now. I’m actively booking fall keynotes, Caregivers’ Action Labs with Family Healthcare Playbook trainings, and workplace pilots.
For Families: If someone in your family is caregiving for a loved one, plan a special treat for them, whether it’s a home-cooked meal, a weekend off from caregiving, or tickets to see their favorite sports team, a concert, or even an afternoon at the movies.
❓I’d love to know if you have any other actions to add to this list, or if you're planning (or need help planning) something great for National Caregivers' Month. Drop me a note in the comments. And as always, if I can support you on your caregiving journey, just let me know. DM me here on LinkedIn or drop me a note at karesha@thefamilyhealthcareplaybook.com
#TheFamilyHealthcarePlaybook #FamilyCaregivers #AccidentalCaregivers #SandwichGeneration #Caregiving