EP 77 :: Caregiving: How To Leverage Your Workplace Benefits :: Sarahbeth Persiani

Sarahbeth Persiani is the author of Run, Walk, Crawl ­– A Caregiver Caught Between Generations. For 5 years, Sarahbeth was the primary caregiver for her father, who had dementia, while working full-time and taking care of her own family.

As the founder of her business, We Are Sharing the Sun, she helps companies create a supportive culture for family caregivers and provides education, support, and encouragement for working professionals who are themselves in the sandwich generation caregiving squeeze.

“One of the biggest suggestions is making the workday repeatable and predictable so that people are able to know that expectation and plan for it,” Sarahbeth says.

“When I had a staff, I would ask, How's it going? How's your mom doing? How's your dad doing?  How are you doing with it? Because just letting them know that I recognized the fact that they had something else going on, that I understood, and that if they needed something they didn't have to feel embarrassed, ashamed, or scared to come talk to me about it, made a world of difference to my team,” Mike said.

“When organizations ignore caregivers, they lose talent, engagement, and productivity,” Sarahbeth explains. “Corporate executives in HR are open to talking with people who are having challenges on how best to continue to keep their jobs and take care of someone at home.”

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