Thank you, Denise, from Caregiving.com – an amazing help for family caregivers online. Carebuzz appreciates the time you gave us during the following interview -

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As a family caregiver for mom and dad, I found it difficult to find support via the net until I found your group. When I was in the throes of caregiving, I confided with colleagues at work. And it amazed me how our employer did not support us.. i.e. we wanted to meet in our cafeteria at noon once a month to share knowledge and resources… the HR dept. vetoed that idea.

I’m curious if you are hearing “out in the employer/business community” if the attitude of elder care is moving up in ranks? If so, what sort of support programs are employers offering the working family caregiver?

That’s an unfortunate, but not uncommon, situation that you encountered at work. I do believe though, that more employers are taking notice of issues facing working family caregivers. And, really, employers have to: The U.S. Census Bureau reports that approximately one of every eight Americans between the ages of 40 and 60 can be considered a part of the sandwich generation, and experts expect those figures to grow. National studies say companies without elder-care benefits stand to lose $2,500 a year per caregiving employee and that every $1 spent on elder-care benefits gets a return of $1.50 in productivity, retention, and reduced absenteeism.

Many companies contract with providers, such as LifeCare, Inc., for work/life benefits which include information and referral services to help family caregivers. For instance, employees can contact their work/life provider for help in finding care, managing stress and making a difficult decision. A work/life benefit is great for any family caregiver, but can be particular useful for a long-distance caregiver. The provider will research care options in a care recipient’s community, which can be a huge time-saver for a family caregiver living in a different city. Through a work/life benefit, employees also may have access to a geriatric care manager for a discounted cost.

Many employers also offer an Employee Assistance Program, offered through companies such as Ceridien, which provide counseling services to help employees during difficult times. An EAP can be a great resource for a family caregiver overwhelmed by the emotions of the caregiving experience.

In addition to work/life benefits, some employer assist with back-up care during emergency situations.  Companies such as Work Options Group help employees find last-minute care in the event of an illness or travel.  For instance, an employee with this benefit can use the service to find a last-minute home health aide in case the regularly-scheduled aide becomes ill. The purpose of a back-up care benefit is to solve dependent care problems so an employee can get to work.

Finally, Lunch and Learns about elder care situations are a great and inexpensive way for employers to support family caregivers.

I encourage working family caregivers to contact their Human Resources department to learn about any programs available to help them.

I do worry, though, that our challenging economy will cause employers to consider putting these benefits on the chopping block in order to control expenses. We’ve made such huge inroads to help working family caregivers; it would be awful to take a turn back.

Home Care Bakersfield provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Bakersfield, Delano, Wasco, Lamont, Tehachapi, Lake Isabella, Ridgecrest, Taft, Shafter, Bodfish, Wofford Heights, Rosedale, Oildale, Kernville area. Call us today at 661-321-3235.

Let us help you keep mom and dad at home!

Most family caregivers don’t do what they do because they think it will be easy or fun; they provide care because of their love for a senior and concern over their health. Caregivers will have an easier time coping with the challenges, if they have an understanding of what to expect.

Physical Challenges

• Caregivers may be responsible for most or all of the light and heavy housework, which can become trying especially when combined with their own responsibilities at home

• Caregivers often need to help seniors with limited mobility, which can involve lifting and moving them. If  a caregiver is not physically strong they may injure themselves or the senior

Mental Challenges

The challenges referred to here, are those that a senior’s mental issues may present to a caregiver.
• Caregivers may have to learn new skills to manage medications

• Caregivers often need to take responsibility over a senior’s financing

• Caregivers also need to make adjustments to a home for safety, and plan activities appropriate for the senior

Financial Challenges

• Caregivers may have to take on some form of financial obligation to assist the senior, since often senior’s with health limitations have used a lot of their funds paying for medical costs

• Sometimes caregivers, like their senior, may use a great deal of their savings and financial resources to fund healthcare or other costs related to senior care

Emotional Challenges

• Caregivers may find it difficult to deal with the physical and mental changes that come with a health decline of their beloved family member

• Family caregivers can feel conflicting emotions ranging from affection, frustration, anger, sadness and guilt

• It can also be a big emotional challenge to try and convince a family member to take caregiving help; or deal with the emotions that come with having someone rely on you fully

Source: http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual_ha/sec2/ch15/ch15a.html

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