As our mobile society ages, the struggle to care for elderly relatives across the miles is becoming common. A recent article in the Boston Globe (May 24, 2002) reports that specialists on aging predict that long-distance care for elders will replace childcare as the single most important family issue for the baby boomer generation. An estimated 7 million to 10 million adult children are caring for their parents from a long distance, according to The National Council on the Aging (NCOA). And, as baby boomers age, the number of long-distance caregivers is expected to more than double over the next 15 years.
Recognizing that workers are missing at least 15 million days of work each year because of long-distance caregiving (NCOA), employers are helping employees and their families create care-giving plans in order to minimize time-off. "No matter how prepared you are, there will still be surprises," says Denise Markley, Vice President of Valencia, CA-based Work|Life Benefits. "But having the support of your employer and a plan in place helps lessen the impact on everyone involved."
Employers can help caregiving employees in a variety of ways:
- Resource and Referral: While the depth and breadth of services varies by program, many employer-sponsored resource and referral programs offer employees referrals that are tailored to their specific requirements, in terms of services needed, location, etc. In addition, some resource and referral programs offer guidance and coaching they need to help them sort through the maze of regulations and bureaucracies that rule the elder care system.
- Pre-Tax Programs: Reimbursement programs enable employees to set aside pre-tax reimbursement accounts to help cover the cost of elder care and services.
- Financial Assistance: Employers can help defray the caregiving costs through either vouchers or reimbursement programs.
- Long-term Care Insurance: Long-term care insurance is used to help cover cost of nursing homes and other care. This insurance may be made available as an add-on option to a standard employee benefits package or as an option benefit among others in a flexible benefits plan.
- Education. Companies can house books, audiotapes, videotapes and other materials on caregiving issues in their company libraries. They can also include articles, advice and elder care tips in their company newsletter and on their website. Some employers may also offer on-site elder care fairs, seminars and workshops that address a myriad of elder care issues.
The following 6 questions can help any company evaluate how well it supports its long distance care-giving employees. As Markley is quick to point out, "Companies that answer ´no´ to these questions really need to learn more about their employees."
- Do you know how many of your employees travel more than 90 minutes to take care of an elderly friend or relative?
- Do you know how many hours per week do your employees miss because of long distance elder care responsibilities?
- Can you estimate what it costs an individual to manage the affairs of an older relative who lives 90 minutes away?
- Does your resource and referral network provide assistance on a national level?
- Can you estimate annually what percentage of unplanned absences are due to elder care issues?
- Is there a backup plan in place for your department if you or a co-worker have an elder care emergency?
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