White Papers & Articles

Workplace Programs for Family Caregivers

Good for Business

Care of the elderly and chronically ill has always been one of the primary functions of the family. According to Care Giver Helper, a Massachusetts based business that provides tools to assist family caregivers, the impact this has on business has never been greater as women, who are the traditional caregivers, have joined and remain in the workforce.

"Eldercare issues are moving to the forefront of legitimate workplace concerns as more and more individuals seek to balance work responsibilities," said Care Giver Helper CEO Steven Dworkin. "Estimates indicate that 25% - 35% of the workforce is now caring for a chronically ill or aging family member. This number will rise dramatically over the next decade as the elderly population increases, the size of the family decreases and the time span of care giving grows longer due to expanded lifetimes" he continued.

According to the Met Life Caregiver Cost Study large and small businesses face the same relative costs of care: $2,110 - $2,441 per employee. This translates to an estimated cost of $33 billion annually in absen-teeism, tardiness, work place errors, increased supervisory costs and employees exiting the workforce which results in additional recruiting and training costs.

The issue clearly represents an opportunity for Employee Assistance Programs to be at the forefront of an issue that will have an even greater impact on businesses in the next decade.

Eldercare workplace initiatives offer a challenge because caregivers rarely inform employers of their situation due to fears of losing a promotion or even their job. Additionally, employers risk losing 10 - 30% of their workforce due to a caregiver's commitment to their family.

Studies have shown that working caregivers identify work related needs that include:

Flexible work schedules information about services and aging in general
support from co-workers and supervisors
assistance in making decisions about care options and other related issues.

EAP's are now in a unique position to help family caregivers self-identify and access a comprehensive set of tools to assist their employees through all stages of the process at no cost via a branded portal developed by Care Giver Helper.

The process of care giving is a complex one ranging from simple tasks such as trips to the grocery store to providing the most basic of daily living activities such as feeding, bathing, and transportation, to coordinating medications, medical appointments, dealing with financial responsibilities and more.

Care giving can essentially be broken down into 6 primary tasks: assessment, organization, planning, communication, scheduling and monitoring.

The Care Giver Helper portal helps families coordinate and even share those tasks and more. This helps reduce family stress which can help avoid burn-out and even the premature institutionalization of a loved one, not to mention improved productivity in the workplace.

Care Giver Helper allows the creation of private and secure family communities that allow them to put all their support information in one place: contact numbers of doctors and caregivers, medications and dosages, a common calendar with appointment reminders, and events such as birthdays or anniversaries.

There is also a place to store medical, legal, insurance and other pertinent documents as well as information on care recipient preferences such as favorite foods, music and hobbies.

More importantly, Care Giver Helper streamlines the organization and communication between family caregivers facilitating daily activities, emergencies and long term planning which reduce the stress and isolation so often associated with care giving responsibilities.

Resource communities provide information on specific health related topics such as diabetes, Alzheimer's, heart disease and cancer and as well as providing answers to difficult questions like "when do I take the car keys away from mom?"

Finding resources, seeking expert help, communicating and sharing encouragement with peers are all benefits of these focused communities. One of the unique features of Care Giver Helper is the ability to access all these resources in one location.

These tools will assist employees manage important family duties with more efficiency and less stress resulting in improved results at home and work.

CareGiverHelper, Inc.

Care Giver Helper is an internet healthcare marketing and communications company that assists organizations build brand awareness, client loyalty and new client acquisition, through an online community for family caregivers. This web based service improves task organization and communication between family caregivers in order to assist in facilitating daily activities, emergency response and longer term planning processes. It also includes discussion and support groups that are facilitated by resource communities that each focus on a specific health related topic. The service is free of charge for non-paid caregivers and their families.