Whether you’re saving up for a well-deserved vacation or you just need some extra money to pay the bills, there are plenty of lucrative side hustles suitable for senior caregivers. From work that closely aligns with caregiving to gigs that offer a break from the field, caregivers can take their pick from numerous jobs.
Where to begin? Lisa Kaufmann, an aging life care manager and end of life doula at SeniorCare Options in Atlanta, suggests prioritizing projects that will be personally fulfilling. “I think the burden of caregiving is quite real and can become damaging,” Kaufmann says. “Self-care is crucial, and if other projects or hobbies allow caregivers to focus on their own interests, then that is a very good thing. There is life outside of caregiving.”
When you’re ready to get started, here are 12 ways caregivers can bring in extra cash.
“If other projects or hobbies allow caregivers to focus on their own interests, that is a very good thing.”
— LISA KAUFMANN, AGING LIFE CARE MANAGER AND END OF LIFE DOULA
1. Tutoring
Find a tutor job
A great way to earn some extra cash — and use your brain for something very different from caregiving — is tutoring. Not only does tutoring run the gamut in terms of skill level (think: kindergarten reading versus high school physics), it also gives the option to work in person, online, with groups or one-on-one. A great time to pick up tutoring clients, even if you’ve never tutored before, is at the end of the summer and beginning of fall when kids are brushing up after the long break.
Consider applying for a tutoring job through Care.com.
2. Pet sitting and/or dog-walking
Find a pet care job
Caregiving can be an incredibly stressful job, so why not choose a side gig that’s also a stress-buster? Pet sitting and dog-walking allows you to get paid for spending time with pets — an activity that has many proven therapeutic benefits, including anxiety reduction.
Pet owners might need you to take their pups for daily walks while they’re at work or provide in-home pet care when they travel. Some clients may even allow you to watch their pets in your own home.
Consider applying for a pet-sitting, dog-walking or pet-boarding job through Care.com.
3. Child care
Find a babysitting job or a nanny job
You already have the basic skills that any caregiver needs, so it’s not much of a stretch to apply them to a different age group for a change of pace. Families with young children are always looking for caregivers who are experienced and responsible. From after-school care to occasional date nights and from infants to tweens, there are childcare opportunities to suit every style of sitter.
Care.com matches babysitters with families, or you may also be able to find new clients through your existing caregiver network.
4. Writing
As a professional senior caregiver, you will inevitably amass some expertise over the course of your career — expertise that may be invaluable to others in the field. You may be able to find work writing for senior publications in your area or even nationally.
Amy Cameron O’Rourke, a caregiver and author of “The Fragile Years,” has worked with thousands of families over the course of her 40-year career, and she felt drawn to share her experiences through the written word. “I had a lot of information in my head that I have learned is very useful to others,” she says. “Many caregivers cannot afford to hire a care manager, and my hope was to provide information to as many caregivers as I could and hopefully point them in the right direction for help.”
5. Caregiver coaching
Another way to share your senior caregiving expertise while making extra cash: coaching. Leah Maul started her own North Carolina-based coaching business, Meah Health Navigation, at the beginning of the pandemic.
“Like many, I was trying to work from home while homeschooling my three kids and was no longer able to care for my clients in person,” says Maul. “My pivot was moving my geriatric care management business — a very labor-intensive, in-person job — to a virtual model including eCourses.”
6. Delivery driving
If you have a reliable vehicle and a clean driving record, you can hit the road to earn cash. Companies like Amazon and UPS often hire part-time delivery drivers, especially during busy shopping seasons, such as the holidays. Or you could work for companies like DoorDash or GrubHub to deliver food.
Have you always wanted to compete on “Supermarket Sweep”? Companies like Shipt and Instacart are always looking for personal shoppers who can deliver groceries to their clients’ doors.
7. End-of-life doula
After decades of working in aging life care management, Lisa Kaufman began training as an end-of-life doula. “It was a natural evolution from my role as a care manager,” says Kaufman. “I felt a pull to be with people during their final days and to help them find comfort during their transition to the next.”
Kaufman describes the work as “bringing a calming presence to clients and their families during a tender time of life.”
8. House cleaning
Find a house cleaning job or housekeeping job
If you have a passion for bringing order and cleanliness to a home, think about finding work as a professional house cleaner. Whether they’re working in an office or saddled with a lot of work from home, lots of people could use a hand with everything from their dishes to deep cleaning bathrooms, dusting and vacuuming.
As a house cleaner, you can work on your own or as part of a team, or you can find an opening with a professional house cleaning company.
9. Professional organizing and decluttering
If you have the ability to organize a chaotic space, consider seeking work as a professional organizer and declutterer. Many people need someone to help them sort through their excess belongings and disorganized spaces from attics and garages to kitchens and closets.
You may be able to find your first clients in your caregiving networks — families with aging adults often need someone to help organize belongings before or after downsizing or moving to a care facility.
10. Gardening
Find a gardening job
Gardening can reduce stress, and it can also lead to income opportunities. From pulling weeds to landscape design and maintenance, there are many ways to use your green thumb to increase your income. You may be able to start with your existing network of clients who need help maintaining their yards, then leverage that into more work through word of mouth.
Apps like TaskRabbit and Thumbtack can also connect you with clients who need home improvement services.
11. Personal assisting
Find a personal assistant job
If you’re a senior care provider, you could make extra income running errands, grocery shopping or helping your client handle clerical tasks, like making appointments. Back-to-school season and the start of the school year is always particularly busy for families, so consider getting the word out now.
“Pay attention to where you experience a lightening of your fatigue or an uplift in energy. Incorporate those things into your daily life.”
— AMY CAMERON O’ROURKE, CAREGIVER AND AUTHOR
12. Build a creative business
Do you have a creative talent that’s been simmering on the back burner? It may be just the thing to help you create a business. If friends and family rave about your baking, you could make extra dough baking birthday cakes and treats for special events. If you’re an amateur shutterbug, an online course could give you the confidence you need to make money shooting portraits. Love to paint? Someone may pay for one of your originals!
Whatever side gig you choose to pursue, be sure that it’s not going to overwhelm you or add undue stress to your life. “Pay attention to where you experience a lightening of your fatigue or an uplift in energy,” says O’Rourke. “Incorporate those things into your daily life.”
