Balancing Work & Caregiving (Caregivers Alberta)

Over half of Canadian women (52% in 2022) provide care for children or adults, paid or unpaid, significantly more than men. In 2022, 1.8 million Canadians were "sandwich caregivers," supporting both children and care-dependent adults simultaneously. A large number of women in these percentages are autistic and are caretaking for individuals who are autistic (both diagnosed and undiagnosed).

This session explores practical ways to help employees balance their work responsibilities with caregiving duties. It covers organizational policies, procedures, and practices that support caregivers, as well as flexible work options and accommodations.

We also introduce tools like Caregiver Needs Assessments and Work Plans to ensure caregivers receive the right support while maintaining productivity.

This learning session is brought to you by Caregivers Alberta, the Sinneave family Foundation, and Autism Edmonton.

Facilitator

Karen Cuthbertson is the Manager, Support Services for Caregivers Alberta, based in Calgary. Her role is to support people in navigating the challenging role of being a caregiver for a family member or friend. Karen is a “sandwich generation” caregiver herself, caring for both young adults and aging parents. She has extensive experience working in youth mental health, dementia, and cancer care. She has a Master of Science in Psychology and 20+ years of experience working in the public, private, and non-profit sectors.