Need to work - can it be done from home?

OhDear

Hi - I'm new to this situation. My DH has difficulty with some daily living tasks - he just can't seem to get through to the next step and gets stuck in a loop (multiple layers of clothing, bedtime routines, remembering to eat). I have a leave of absence of work that's about to end. I need health insurance myself as a diabetic and I'm 58 - so I'm depending on the job for health insurance. I may be able to work 30 hrs (full-time) from home for "most" of the time. (It's 1 hour away.) What do others do for this? Can one work from home and still care for LO? Are there more flexible remote jobs that work? My husband doesn't see a need for at-home care and I've not tried it yet. We're only married 2 years and I do want to be with him. Any ideas? 

THANKS! 

JoseyWales

I'm a teacher and worked from home when everything shut down for Covid almost 3 years ago.

It was NOT easy. DH didn't really think I was working, because I was home. As he continued to decline, working from home became more and more impossible. About a year ago I was working from home during a snow day, and while on video with a student DH walked out of the house and away. I had to log off with the student to go find him. That didn't go over well with the parents.

I know others here have made it work, I just couldn't.

A. Marie

OhDear, I'm sorry to have to be a wet blanket--but I wouldn't count on this arrangement working out if I were you. I telecommuted from home to a job in publishing for 36 years--but I had to retire the minute I turned 65 in 2020 because I simply couldn't get anything done, with DH trucking in and out of my office and demanding my attention every 10 minutes. Thank goodness for very understanding employers, or I'd have had to retire even sooner.

M1

Hi OhDear.  I have a part-time (2-3 days/week) computer-based job that requires a lot of concentration, but when covid hit us in March 2020 I was able to work from home and take of my partner for approximately two years.   Things fell apart for other reasons and she had to go to memory care this spring, but yes, for two years, I was able to manage it.  She was pretty independent with her activities of daily living though, so I didn't have to oversee bathing and dressing, but there were increasingly frequent interruptions for lost items, meds, meals, needing help with household tasks, etc.  My job doesn't involve a lot of telephone or meeting time, so it was manageable.  If it were full time it would have been harder but still doable I think.  Very much depends on your LO and the demands of the job.

sandwichone123

It's really hard to work from home. My dh would have to come in to tell me things right away--like what mail was going to be arriving that day. Focus is difficult, and if you're on Zoom meetings those can be very difficult as well. It's like trying to get something done while supervising a small child.

My heart goes out to you as a fellow newlywed. We're a little farther along and have been married six years.

OhDear

Thank you all for your replies - I see now how difficult this will be. Right now, my LO doesn't require much assistance but the decline is worrying. Better to know in advance so I can be prepared. I'll explore all options.

mommyandme (m&m)

Hiring in may help you to work from home.  If there’s an Adult Day Care near you maybe that could be a thing down the road.