United with Working Caregivers

More than 44 million family caregivers nationwide, and 1.7 million here in Florida, serve as the backbone of long-term care, spending on average 20 hours per week providing care. Tens of thousands of these individuals live and work in South Florida.

 

With the expectation that one in every three households will be providing care for an aging or disabled relative by 2020, both employers and employees are facing a workforce crisis that will impact the bottom line for everyone, including employers in the healthcare arena.

 

An estimated 61 percent of family caregivers of adults age 50 and older are currently employed either full or part-time. Ultimately, 11 percent of these working caregivers will take a leave of absence and 10 percent will quit their jobs altogether.

 

Working caregivers experience workday interruptions, arrive late, leave early, and represent absenteeism and “presenteeism” challenges for employers. As a result, U.S. businesses lose up to approximately $33.6 billion per year in lost productivity from full-time working caregivers.

 

Human Resources departments would typically deal with this issue only when approached by an employee. But now is the time for businesses to exercise a more proactive approach to manage and support this special category of employee – the working caregiver – who is torn between family obligations caring for an aging relative and their duties at work.

 

By addressing the unique needs of working caregivers through worksite wellness and support programs, employers can improve the health and mental well-being of their staff and also yield bottom line savings through reduced absenteeism and lost productivity.

 

Employers who make “softer benefits” available will also reap the rewards of employee loyalty and productivity. Work/life programs that include caregiver support can enhance recruitment and retention, improve morale, and foster a family-friendly workplace.

 

For example, United HomeCare recently launched the Caregivers UNITED program, implemented in partnership with United Way of Miami-Dade, to educate, assist and provide support for family caregivers through employers. The workplace-based program, offered at no cost to employers, is designed for employees who are facing the difficult task of caring for an aging parent or other family member. One component is a four-part seminar series presented by United HomeCare’s experienced team of Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs), covering the following topics:

• Family Dynamics of Caregiving

• Stress Relief and Self-Care for Caregivers

• Dementias and Memory Loss

• Community Resources for Those Dealing with Older Adults

 

In addition, employers can receive confidential consultation to assist working caregiver employees in crisis, obtain information on long-term care, and help with establishing a working caregiver support group. These services are complimentary to employers and employees.

 

Here are a few quick tips from the Caregivers UNITED team on some of the ways employers can help:

• Look for signs of caregiver stress among employees and reach out to them. Caregivers who are struggling to manage all their responsibilities at home and at work may show signs of fatigue, increased absenteeism or depression. Employers can initiate a dialogue that may help these employees understand that they are not alone and there are community resources such as support groups and wellness centers that may be of help.

• Become an information resource for employees with caregiving responsibilities. Employers are in an excellent position to help employees simply by making available good information. The following are a few resources available to working caregivers, including our own, to help them cope with the challenges:

www.allianceforaging.org

www.alz.org  

www.caregiving.org

www.senioritymatters.com

www.unitedhomecare.com

• Educate employees about home care services they can obtain with flex care plans. Many employees who participate in flex care plans may not realize that some home care services for a dependent parent or other family member may be paid from flex care plans.