According to an AARP Public Policy Institute study, the average U.S. family caregiver is a 49-year-old woman who provides unpaid care of nearly 20 hours per week to her mother for nearly five years.
Caring for a loved one while also working a paying job can be time-consuming as well as physically and emotionally demanding. The many challenges and distractions of caregiving also can reduce worker productivity and oftentimes impact one’s health. All of this can affect employers.
Consider this:
- More than 40 million American workers are caring for loved ones over the age of 65.
- Six in 10 are balancing these caregiving responsibilities with full- or part-time jobs.
Home care services can be a valuable solution. Hiring a professional caregiver can allow family caregivers to retain their paying job and remain productive while on the job. This also helps employers because it can reduce the chance of an employee missing work, and it can help ensure employees maintain good mental and physical health.
According to the Home Care Association of America, there are several ways in which the many senior care responsibilities of working family caregivers can impact worker productivity and increase costs for employers.
Work suffers. More than 60 percent of family caregivers report making work accommodations due to family caregiving responsibilities, including taking a leave of absence, arriving late, passing up a promotion or retiring early.
Health suffers. Less than 50 percent of family caregivers report being in very good health, while one in five feel their health has gotten worse because of caregiving. Poor health can result in increased health care costs for employers.
Productivity falls off and employers pay. In a recent study, 25 percent of family caregivers reported missing an average of 6.1 hours of work the previous week due to caregiving responsibilities. Costs associated with caregiving – including the need to replace employees, absenteeism, workday distractions and reductions in hours – all impact employers.
Hiring professional home care can reduce pressures on working caregivers and alleviate strains on employee productivity by helping family caregivers better manage demands both on the job and at home. FirstLight’s non-medical home care solutions provide support to families by offering a wide range of needs and resources to help their loved ones maintain quality of life.
Companion Care provides companionship through regular visits, as well as medication reminders, light housekeeping, laundry services, errands and transportation.
Personal Care aids with activities of daily living, such as bathing and hygiene, walking and mobility, transfer and posturing, special diets and meal preparation.
Respite Care allows family caregivers to take vacations or time for themselves, while FirstLight professionals ensure loved ones are cared for.
Dementia Care provides personalized care plans to help dementia sufferers and their families cope with the anxiety, confusion and isolation that are often associated with the disease.
If you are a working family caregiver juggling many roles and responsibilities, home care can help.
Sources:
Home Care Association of America
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FirstLight Home Care of Tri-Valley provides in-home care services to seniors, people with disabilities, patients needing recovery and rehabilitation services, veterans, and busy moms. We serve clients in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, mainly in Danville, Blackhawk, San Ramon, Dublin, Pleasanton, Castro Valley, Hayward, Livermore, and communities along the 680 Corridor of the East Bay.
For more information, email us at TriValley@FirstLightHomeCare.com or call us at 925-359-9250. You may also leave us a message here.