When caregiver leave is not enough
Mantelzorgverlof kan een belangrijke regeling zijn wanneer een ouder tijdelijk hulp nodig heeft. Het geeft werknemers de mogelijkheid om een periode meer tijd te besteden aan zorg.
However, many families notice that caregiver leave is not always sufficient.
Care situations often last longer than expected
When a parent needs help, families often think it is temporary.
For example after:
- a hospital admission
- a fall
- een medische behandeling
Maar in de praktijk blijkt dat veel ouderen langdurig ondersteuning nodig hebben.
Mantelzorg wordt langzaam intensiever
What starts with small requests for help can slowly change.
Bijvoorbeeld:
- first groceries occasionally
- after that multiple visits per week
- later daily support
As a result, increasing pressure is placed on the informal caregiver.
You can read more about this in Recognizing caregiver burnout.
Combining work and care is becoming difficult
Many informal caregivers try to combine their work and care as best as possible.
But over time, that can lead to:
- vermoeidheid
- stress
- guilt towards work
- guilt towards family
Read also Combining work with informal care.
Op zoek naar een duurzame oplossing
When care remains structurally necessary, many families look for ways to better organize the care.
Sometimes it helps to transfer part of the support to a regular home support worker.
You can read more about this in Replacement informal care.
