A few decades ago, a person in Chang's position would have had to quit working all together in order to look after their loved one. However, the advent of the Internet and the proliferation of mobile technology has enabled millions to "telecommute"— work from a location other than a centralized office (typically the home).
Chang has been telecommuting for over a decade, working as a freelance customer service agent for Arise Virtual Solutions, a company that provides outsourced contact center services for major corporations.
The pros and cons of telecommuting
For family caregivers, telecommuting can offer some serious advantages. It's one of the ways that family caregivers can find life balance.
Flexibility is one of the primary benefits of remote working, according to Carlos Soto, director of sourcing for Arise. He also cites the time and money that can be saved by not having to get dressed up and commute to work every day as added advantages.
Time and money are two things caregivers often have in short supply, so a job that enables them to have more of both is a definite win-win.
"It's the best choice," Chang says of telecommuting. "Working from home allows you the flexibility to schedule your time around your loved one's needs."
Telecommuters also don't have to worry about dipping into their sick days or paid-time-off in order to ferry a loved one to and from doctor's appointments and rehabilitation sessions, and they don't have to worry about how to talk to their boss about caregiving.
The biggest benefit for Chang? "Having the ability to spend quality time with him [her father-in-law]."
But there are challenges that come with working from home while caregiving. It's imperative that a caregiver be able to set aside time that is free from distraction—a difficult thing to do for those taking care of a loved one with dementia, or someone who needs help on an almost constant basis.
Chang says it can be tricky, even with the inherent flexibility of telecommuting, to make sure her schedule accommodates everything she needs to get done during the day.
She must also make efforts to prevent the challenges of caregiving from negatively impacting her work performance. "I have to be careful not to let me caregiving affect my ability to stay upbeat, cheery and fully focused on the clients," she says.
5 work-from-home jobs for caregivers
There's practically no limit on what kinds of jobs offer work-from-home options. Before starting your search, it's best take time to pinpoint your strengths and interests so that you can find a job that aligns well with them.Here are five examples of jobs you can do from home:
- Freelance writer, editor, artist (practically anything): A freelancer is typically a self-employed professional who isn't bound to work for one particular company over an extended period of time. Being a freelance (writer, artist, etc.) means that you can pick and choose which short-term jobs and projects you're willing to take on. There are numerous online directories that post freelance jobs, including www.elance.com, which received an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
- Online tutor: If you've got a background in teaching, or you just enjoy helping other people learn, taking a job as a virtual tutor could be a good fit. Websites such as www.tutor.com (A+ rating from the BBB) can offer more information on online tutoring options.
- Translator: Are you fluent in a foreign language? International companies often jump at the chance to have their text transformed from one language to another. Web directories for freelance work, such as elance, typically include a section for online translation job postings.
- Online shop owner: If you're an artist or designer who's always wanted to open up your own store, but have never had the time or money to set up a brick and mortar operation, sites such as www.etsy.com (B rating from the BBB) and www.ebay.com (A+ rating from the BBB) offer the opportunity to sell your wares online. Etsy specializes in allowing their virtual store owners to sell handmade crafts and vintage items, whereas Ebay is more of a catch-all online marketplace. These sites typically do charge users a small fee to set up shop and post their products, or may take a percentage of a product's eventual selling price.
- Customer service representative: In addition to working with companies such as Arise, you can also apply to work for individual corporations as a remote customer service representative.
Be savvy when searching for employment online
You should always exercise caution when seeking work-from-home employment opportunities. The telecommuting world is rife with scammers seeking to obtain access to the personal and financial information of unsuspecting job hunters.Be wary of any company that promises you you'll "get rich quick" by working for them part-time. Companies that require significant amounts of unpaid training, or that ask you to spend money to apply for a position should also be considered untrustworthy.
Even if an offer seems legitimate, it may not be. Internet fraudsters have become adept at getting their websites to mimic those of authentic companies.A site or email may appear to come from a trustworthy company, but it could be the work of "phishers"—scammers who attempt to gain personal information by first developing a rapport with their victim.
For example, a group of can artists recently used the Coca Cola name and logo to try to convince job hunters to fork over personal information, such as their Social Security number, by claiming that the beverage giant had a job offer for them.
It can be difficult to spot a sham job post. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) offers a few tips for keeping yourself safe while searching for work online
- Consult your local consumer protection offices and the BBB to double-check the organization's legitimacy.
- Remember, authentic employers will never ask for bank account information so they can direct deposit your paycheck before your first official day of work.
- As always, the best rule of thumb is to avoid giving out personal information over the Internet unless there is no doubt that the job offer is coming from a trustworthy source.
Thank you so much for posting this!! I have found a stay at home consulting job that works well with my care giving activities. Having the ability to give quality care to my family member, while earning a passive income from a highly successful international health and wellness company, working only a few hours a day without ever leaving the home, has been a huge blessing.
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