Given the choice between a successful career or being a loyal caregiver to her mother, Kelowna resident Marinella Berretti was lucky to find a way to do both.
While working as an administrative assistant at Falcon Engineering, Berretti91裸聊视频檚 been trying to help her mother, Maruska, 84 who has been in and out of the hospital since December, with broken bones, ischaemic colitis and is now back in hospital with pneumonia.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 very hard when you are the only caregiver91裸聊视频� I am the only sibling here in Kelowna,91裸聊视频� said Berretti, who has siblings in Edmonton and Toronto. 91裸聊视频淪he91裸聊视频檚 my mother I want to do what is best for her.91裸聊视频�
The stress to balance her time at work, while ensuring her mother receives proper treatment in an assisted living home feels like a full time job for Berretti.
Related: B.C. senior care improving, but most far below staffing target
The assisted living homes her mother has lived in have treated her well but, with staff being 91裸聊视频渟pread so thin91裸聊视频� her mother was seeing a different doctor almost every day, medications and treatment recommendations would vary.
91裸聊视频淥ne (doctor) would say put her on oxygen, and then two days later she would be told to go off it by another,91裸聊视频� Berretti said.
To ensure her mother was getting the proper care, Berretti started ensuring she was able to check in the the doctors regularly which crept into her work hours.
91裸聊视频淚 would try to work with the doctors to meet with them on my lunch hours but it wasn91裸聊视频檛 working, so I had to talk to my employer. They are so supportive, but it91裸聊视频檚 really stressful. I feel like even though they are okay with me leaving to talk to the doctors and help her I feel that I am taking too much,91裸聊视频� Berretti said.
Turning to the Home Instead Senior Care once she was able to bring her mother home from the hospital has been 91裸聊视频渁 God send91裸聊视频� along with the help of her boss.
Related: B.C. VIEWS: Who will care for frail elderly?
91裸聊视频淚t is so hard to juggle and without the support I am getting it would have been a lot harder, I am quite lucky that I have a good company and employer that cares about me,91裸聊视频� Berretti said.
Home Instead sees daughters with young families of their own to take care of, becoming the sole caregiver of their aging parents. After conducting a survey, amongst female caregivers between the ages of 45 and 60 in the U.S and Canada, Home Instead found that 91 per cent of female caregivers have had make professional sacrifices to take on the responsibility of caring for their parents.
91裸聊视频淗alf of the women surveyed felt they had to choose between being a good employee or a good daughter,91裸聊视频� read the findings.
Berretti was lucky however to have an employer that is so understanding. Home Instead takes care of their clients either by hourly or daily rates
Related: Changing philosophies for seniors91裸聊视频� care
91裸聊视频淲e provide a little bit of a light at the end of the tunnel for women like Marinella, because it is a 24/7 job, there is no relief to it and it is very frustrating for them,91裸聊视频� Don Henke, franchise owner of Home Instead said. 91裸聊视频淒aughters end up taking care of their parents more than sons, it has generally been the role. It shouldn91裸聊视频檛 be that way but it91裸聊视频檚 a gender role that has been a reality. Lots of men are involved but not to the extent where the daughters are.91裸聊视频�
Human life expectancy rising along with medical advances people are living six years longer than they would have before 1981 according to Statistics Canada, most people now live well beyond the age of 75.
The Daughters in the Workplace public education program is available at
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