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It is estimated that forty percent of all employees who are caring for an aging family member are missing work on a regular basis. In 1995 the Metropolitan Life Company reported that it had 85,000 employees and elder care related absenteeism cost the company 33 million dollars that year alone. The Dupont Corporation studied their employees who were caring for elderly family members and found that they had the highest burnout rate. This is a devastating phenomenon which will only become more prevalent as the “baby boomers” enter their senior years. For that reason proactive employers are turning to Employee Assistance Programs that offer Geriatric Care Management services. Take the case of Janet. She has spent the last fourteen years rising through the ranks of her company. She is known for her expertise and dedicated work ethic. When Janet’s mother first moved in with Janet and her family, everything seemed manageable. Janet’s staff and supervisors listened with compassion as she explained that she would need to take an afternoon off in order to bring her mother to the doctor. Six months later, the doctor appointments are more frequent and her supervisors’ compassion is waning. Her staff cannot help but notice all the personal phone calls she is receiving. It is apparent that others are beginning to question her commitment to her job. Her husband is also questioning her commitment. He is disappointed that Janet cancelled the family vacation for the second time. Janet cannot commit to a new vacation date because “Mom shouldn’t be alone right now”. To make matters worse, Janet is feeling resentment towards her siblings who live out of state. They are not available to help, yet they expect to be consulted on matters concerning Mom. The latest affront came last week when Janet’s brother called to ask for a financial accounting of their mother’s funds. Janet felt as though he was questioning her honesty and they had an argument. This upset Janet and her husband and then they had an argument. Janet can see the problems are about to escalate and she is afraid she may lose her job and her marriage. She does not know where to turn. She promised her mother she would never put her in a nursing home but she is wondering if that is a promise she can keep. Janet called a local nursing agency and was shocked to learn that it would cost over sixty dollars per day to have an aide stay with her mother during the day. Her mother’s meager social security check would not even cover the cost. At this point, Janet is afraid to tell her husband that she must now help pay for her mother’s caregivers. Thousands of employees are struggling with the issue of balancing family life, work life and caregiver responsibilities. Some of them lose their jobs because they simply cannot solve the problems of care giving without neglecting other important areas of their lives. Geriatric Care Managers specialize in consulting with elders and their families. First the Care Manager assesses the situation from a medical, social, psychological, financial, legal, government benefit, insurance and environmental perspective, so a Care Plan can be presented to the family. The Care Plan offers solutions to address the immediate needs but also anticipate the future needs. Even if a family knows about the traditional community resources such as Assisted Living Facilities, Day Care, or Home Health Care, they often do not realize how much these services can cost. More importantly, families are not told about free programs and financial aid programs such as Veteran Special Pensions and Medicaid Diversion which could really make services affordable. Many elders and their families pay huge sums for services they never knew were available for free or at a discount. Families expect that hospital social workers, doctors and other health care workers will educate them about any appropriate programs. Sadly, many health care professionals are unaware of these programs or falsely assume that financial aide is only for the indigent. Geriatric Care Managers can determine which solutions are appropriate, access affordable or free services when possible and help elders and their concerned families plan for their future needs. The financial aspect is just as important as the medical aspect. While Geriatric Care Management services like these usually cost an hourly fee, most families find the information they receive saves them thousands of dollars. Of course, if the Care Manager can help a caregiver better balance their work, family and caregiver responsibilities, the value is priceless. As it turns out, employees who are caring for an aging family member find that successfully managing the role of caregiver is much like managing a company. All of the “work” of caring for an elder must be broken down into separate tasks. The caregiver must see themselves as the manager and outsource and/or delegate any tasks that can be done by others. Your Employee Assistance Program can refer you to Geriatric Care Management consultants for professional advice and trustworthy, time-saving services. With the right help you can care for your aging loved ones and still maintain balance at home and at work. |
