Nancy Poland’s Commentary Feature on the Price of Business Digital Network

DBJ News Business May 23, 2024

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Nancy R Poland, Grace’s Message

With grace and hope, Nancy Poland provides written and spoken communication on caregiving, loss, and other valuable topics. She owns what she calls a “micro-business” named “Grace’s Message,” however she has many years of experience in the business world.

In December 2022, Nancy retired from NMDP (previously National Marrow Donor Program/Be The Match) after nearly 28 years of employment. She most recently worked as a Contracts and Compliance Manager and spent over 18 years in management as a people-leader. Nancy has a Bachelor of Arts in social work and a Master of Arts in Health and Human Services Administration. She has authored two books on caregiving, issues a quarterly newsletter, and offers both in-person and virtual presentations.

A life-long resident of the Twin Cities in Minnesota, Nancy and her husband John raised two sons and continue to contribute to their communities, travel, and work on solving British detective shows.

As a working caregiver, Nancy encountered dilemmas such as the following, with no good choices.

The phone rings, an ambulance is bringing her mom to the hospital (again). Does Nancy stay at work for the rest of the training session, or should she race to meet the ambulance and mom at the hospital?
Dad is in the care home, in the later stages of dementia. The only day they schedule monthly family conferences is Thursday, no later than 2:30. Should Nancy take a half day off work, leave work and come back, or dial in, and miss out on a face-to-face conversation.

Working caregivers struggle with job obligations, caring for their loved one, and often other family responsibilities. The one they are caring for may be a child with special needs, an aging relative, or an unexpectedly injured spouse. None of us know when we will be called upon to care for another, and trying to balance each facet of life can be a recipe for disaster. When a caregiver has a crisis, it affects not only the ones involved, but also the company.

Studies show caregivers often have increased absenteeism or reduced performance while at work. They often need to cut down work hours or quit. As this is especially true for caregivers of older adults with significant care needs, for this talk I will focus on ways companies and caregivers can partner together to address the ever-increasing needs of caregivers for our aging population.

Website: https://nancyrpoland.com

Connect with Nancy Poland on social media:

Twitter (now X): https://twitter.com/nancypoland

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nancyrpoland

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-poland-a4632632/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancypoland/

Books by Nancy Poland:

1. Remarkable Caregiving:

https://nancyrpoland.com/remarkable-caregiving/

2. Dancing with Lewy-

https://nancyrpoland.com/dancing-with-lewy-2/