When Employees Become Caregivers Tips for Managers Leah Brzezinski Caregiver Program Assistant Suburban Area Agency on Aging Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Presentation and photos adapted from

Eldercare: A New Business Reality In the 1980’s, American businesses adapted their human resource policies to accommodate the needs of workers with young children. Now, many of those same workers face a new responsibility: providing care for an older parent, relative, or friend.

Just how critical is the need for eldercare? Today’s older population will double to 70 million by out of every 4 U.S. households (22.4 million) is involved in care for an older person. The segment of the population most in need of care (85 and older) is also the fastest growing of any age group. 80% of all care received by older adults is provided by family and friends.

But this is a long way away, right? The need keeps growing each year. As more Americans live into their 80s and 90s, their adult children and relatives will assume increasing responsibility for helping them with activities of daily living.

Work and Caregiving More working Americans are also taking care of an elder. About 1 in 5 workers is balancing work and caregiving. This will increase in the future, due to:  Growth of the older population  Smaller family size  Increase in two-earner households

What does this mean for workers? Surveys reveal how the stresses of eldercare affected employee productivity: 56% of respondents said they were less productive at work 51% said they had to take time off during the work day for eldercare 30% reported being absent for a full day to deal with eldercare matters 10% said they had to give up work entirely

What does this mean for business? A 1997 study by MetLife found eldercare issues cost businesses $11.4 to $29 billion a year. Companies lose so much each year because of costs due to the eldercare crisis: Replacement costs for employees who quit due to caregiving responsibilities Costs due to absenteeism/partial absenteeism Costs due to workday disruptions Costs associated with supervising employed caregivers.

How will your business respond? The need for a response grows greater every day. And the cost to your business of not responding will only grow greater too.

An opportunity for adaptable companies By implementing policies that are “eldercare friendly”, businesses will: Find it easier to attract and retain the best workers Increase productivity by reducing stress on employees Reduce disruptions in the work schedule Enhance their community image, which attracts new customers

But what can WE do about it?  How you and your human resources will respond to the needs of caregiving employees depends on your organization’s unique circumstances.  A comprehensive program might be expensive, but there are many initiatives that can be implemented with little or no cost.  Just letting employees know that caregiving is on your “radar” may make them feel more comfortable discussing the subject at work.

Level 1: The Basics, at no Cost Guide your employees to a few websites with comprehensive information about caregiving issues. (See handouts) Post a flyer or fact sheet in an employee break room or distribute to employee mailboxes.

Level 2: Create a benefits and resources guide for your employees Don’t worry, we’re not talking about putting together a big expensive manual. It can be as simple or complex as you need, depending how extensive your benefits and programs are. If your business is small or has few formal benefits or policies in place, you can still help your employees with information and support. When employees feel valued, they also feel invested in their jobs and their work!

Connect Caregivers with Local Resources Some of the local resources who can provide information to your business and employees include: Disease-specific organizations (i.e., Alzheimer’s Association) Local universities and community colleges or cooperative extension programs And of course…. Hospitals Senior centers Faith-based organizations (i.e., Catholic Charities, Center for Jewish Elderly)

Suburban Area Agency on Aging SAAA serves the largest population of older adults in the state; Service area includes 429,000 persons over the age of 60 Plans, advocates, funds, and coordinates programs for older adults and caregivers in suburban Cook County

SAAA Model for Caregiver Support Information to caregivers about caregiver support and Older Adult Services Assistance with accessing supportive services Respite Care to enable caregivers to be temporarily relieved from caregiver responsibilities Individual counseling, support groups and caregiving training to assist the caregivers in making decisions and solving caregiving problems Supplemental services on a limited basis

The Suburban Area Agency on Aging Network 11 Caregiver Resource Centers throughout Suburban Cook County with designated Caregiver Specialists acting as key point persons in assessing caregivers’ needs and linking families to available programs and services. The Caregiver Specialists serve as local experts on caregiving issues, and help families access resources and provide emotional support.

Level 3: Adopt a few simple Policies If your company is small enough, you don’t even have to adopt written policies. On an informal basis, you can try: Flex-time Shortened work weeks Modified daily schedules based on need Telecommuting

Comprehensive benefits approaches for larger companies If you have a larger company, you may want to “fold in” eldercare policies into existing benefits. Some benefits apply to elder care already Some can be easily refined to provide an eldercare benefit Include a description of each benefit in your information and resource package to employees

Supportive Benefits Dependent life insurance Long-term care insurance covering spouse and parents/in-laws Flexible spending/ dependent care accounts Cash subsidies for services to older relatives Group legal/financial plans Travel discounts (help with long- distance caregiving) Hospice inclusion in company-sponsored health insurance Access to Employee Assistance Programs for counseling and support

Supportive Policies Paid sick leave or family leave that can be used to care for ill relatives or friends Leave without pay options Flex-time Compressed work schedules Flex-place policies (telecommuting) Temporary reduction of hours Job-sharing Employee leave-sharing Shift-exchanging Gradual return to work policies Funeral and bereavement leave policies

Other ways to support employee caregivers Seminars on Aging and Eldercare: Partner with community organizations to have seminars or “brown-bag lunches” in the workplace. Be sure to give employees plenty of notice Schedule a convenient meeting time (or several, if your employees work in shifts) In most cases, the speakers are FREE!

Other ways to support employee caregivers Bring the experts to you: Host a Caregiver Fair An excellent way to give employees access to a range of information in one day. Local agencies will be happy to come, all you provide is the space, some tables, and the promotion for the event. If your business is small, local hospitals or senior centers may have an event going on already. Let your employees know about it and allow them time to attend. Or, join with other businesses to host a fair in a common space.

Training Supervisors to Manage Eldercare Issues Awareness can prevent workplace concerns. Supervisors trained to recognize and respond to eldercare issues promptly and effectively can prevent issues from becoming problems. Workers often say they have difficulty getting their supervisors to understand the concerns caregivers face balancing work and family obligations.

A final word… There is much that workplaces can do to help employees deal with eldercare issues. From simple distribution of printed materials to training programs for line supervisors, your company’s eldercare policies and procedures can be as basic or as comprehensive as you want them to be.

With a mature workforce providing care for their aging relatives, it is obvious that the organizations that will thrive in the coming years will be those who recognize eldercare concerns and work with employees to manage them. With your company’s commitment, business can successfully meet the challenges of eldercare in the decades to come.

Thanks! Questions? Contact Us! Suburban Area Agency on Aging (708) (800)