Employed Family Caregivers in the Workplace
As people live longer and stay in the workforce longer, we see that family caregiving is an increasing trend. With the costs of healthcare rising and more people choosing to age in place, many working people find themselves balancing their profession, personal and family life.
In a National Institute of Health study in 2017, a survey investigated employed family caregivers’ stress levels and how it affected their ability to stay in the workforce, and maintain mental health and generated suggestions on how employers could better accommodate caregiving employees.
The survey found that more than half of the caregivers were employed full or part-time. (Longacre et al. 2017) Among those who were not working, about forty percent reported having quit or retired early due to caregiving demands.(Longacre et al. 2017) Among those respondents who were still working, over half reported that their family caregiving demands interfered with work. (Longacre et al. 2017)
This group who reported interference at work, also reported higher levels of emotional stress due to their caregiving demands. (Longacre et al. 2017) Many other studies have documented the increased stress levels of employees caring for aging parents, skewing predominantly toward females as the primary caregivers. (Dunkin & Anderson-Hanley, 1998; Etters et al., 2008; National Alliance for Caregiving & AARP, 2004; Yee & Schulz, 2000).
According to the National Alliance for Caregiving in 2009, six in ten family caregivers in the United States were employed full-time. (Longacre et al. 2017) Given that about a decade has passed since that report, recent workforce trends indicate that our workforce is aging, meaning their parents are as well. We could surmise that there’s been a significant increase in employed people acting as informal caregivers. Much of the literature on these topics suggests employers create an understanding work environment that takes family caregiving demands into account.
How can Doctor’s Choice help? We are a Medicare education, advocacy, and enrollment company. If employees aren’t ready for Medicare themselves, they are most likely caregiving for aging parents who are either Medicare eligible or currently enrolled in Medicare. Managing billing, prescriptions, insurance coverage, finding additional in-home services, etc. can increase stress and strain on the employee. Doctor’s Choice can assist employees by providing peace of mind that their family members have the best coverage possible, accounting for financial, medical, and lifestyle needs. Let us help alleviate the stress on employees and increase productivity, reduce absenteeism, and enhance workplace policies that accommodate family caregivers.
Source:
Longacre, M., Valdmanis, V., Handorf, E., & Fang, C. (2017, May 1). Work impact and emotional stress among informal caregivers for older adults. Retrieved April 01, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5926991/