Sunday Times 2
Are employers ready to respond to employees’ eldercare needs?
View(s):It is a well-known fact that globally we are an aging society. Sri Lanka is no exception. Recent studies show that the aging population in Sri Lanka is expected to increase from 1.7 million in 2001 to 3.6 million in 2021, and will comprise 16.7% of the total population. By 2041, one in every four Sri Lankans is expected to be elderly.
Along with growing old comes the inevitable risk of disease and health-related issues. Source:Columbiaagedcare wordpress.com
Along with growing old comes the inevitable risk of disease and health-related issues. Sedentary lifestyles and stress have caused diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases to be on the rise. The age-old practice of children taking care of their elderly parents in their homes is becoming scarcer, as households now consist of two wage earners, which includes husband and wife. Yet, Sri Lankans as many Asians do, feel a sense of duty to giveback to their parents. For some, the stress of belonging to the sandwich-generation (caring for elderly parents and young children simultaneously) brings caregiver stress and burnout, which spills over to their daily life at the workplace.
Understanding the needs of the caregiver is key. Being the primary caregiver for another person is one of the most challenging roles one may ever accept. The person cared for, the care recipient, may be a parent, grandparent, or close friend. A caregiver probably accepts this responsibility because of the love they have for the person and wants to help. Perhaps the situation was thrust upon suddenly with little time to consider the extent of the commitment. In any case, there will be many demands on the caregiver’s time, patience, and physical and emotional strength everyday. As a caregiver, an individual needs to be continuously aware of the needs of the care recipient, but it is equally important to be aware of one’s needs as well, in order to maintain personal health; both physical and mental.
Being a primary caregiver has a great emotional impact on an individual’s life. Role reversals are often involved (an adult child caring for a parent, or a husband handling the household duties of a wife). This can be very stressful for both parties and can be complicated by problems in the relationship that existed before the roles were reversed. Primary caregivers commonly experience emotions such as: resentment from sacrificing time to tend to the care recipient, exhaustion from the never-ending physical demands, sadness due to the change in the relationship with the care recipient, frustration due to decreased time for personal and family needs, helplessness due to the inability to improve the care recipient’s life or health, anger from feeling that no one appreciates the hard work and sacrifice and because others have not offered more help, and guilt due to having all the before-mentioned feelings. Stress, anxiety, and depression can develop in such situations. It is important for a caregiver to know where to get help and feel comfortable asking for help.
Equally, there are physical problems frequently experienced by caregivers. Fatigue and intense emotions can be potentially harmful to a caregiver’s health. In addition, “Burnout” occurs when the burden of caregiving becomes too difficult for the caregiver to continue to bear. This is a very serious situation for caregivers, their families, and their care recipients. A working caregiver unbeknownst to them may bring these personal issues to their workplace.
Globally, caregivers are never prepared when called to fulfil this vital role. Industrialized nations as well as the developing world put little emphasis on the importance of listening to the caregiver’s needs. Focus is so much on the needs of the older adult, that the person giving the care becomes invisible, and at a high price.
Merriam Webster Medical Dictionary defines Eldercare as the care of older persons and especially the care of an older parent by a son or daughter. The need for eldercare is clear: As Sri Lanka’s population ages the need for caregivers will grow. Although eldercare imposes growing needs on employers and employees alike, many employers underestimate the impact eldercare has on their company’s bottom line.
According to AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) as the population continues to age in the United States, more and more adults are finding themselves in caregiving situations. Sixty-six million caregivers make up 29 per cent of the U.S. adult population, all of them providing care to someone who is ill, disabled or aged. More than one in six Americans working full – or part – time report assisting with the care of an elderly or disabled family member, relative or friend. Ninety-two percent of working caregivers with intense caregiving responsibilities report major changes in their working patterns. The average length of caregiving in the US is 4.3 years.
Often, working caregivers have to make adjustments to their work life, including reporting late to work, leaving early, taking time off, passing up promotions, taking a leave of absence or leaving the work force entirely. As employees struggle to juggle caring for their aging loved one, businesses also pay a price i.e. lost time and productivity. Employers do not view eldercare as a work issue, nor are they aware of the needs of their employees. Generally, there’s a lack of understanding of the hidden costs associated with caregiving. This issue is universal.
Employers should take time to understand their workforce and their needs.
Consider training supervisors and managers on eldercare. Employers can have a powerful and meaningful impact on their working caregivers. In order to help employees who are caring for a loved one, and to prepare those that may have to fill the role in the future, employers should consider offering an eldercare program as a human resource benefit.
A successful eldercare program would consist of: lunchtime seminars, access to community resources and information, caregiver support groups, training on stress and burnout, wellness programs, and in-home support on how to care for the care receiver. The benefits of employers offering an eldercare program include: improved employee morale and productivity, decreased utilization of vacation/sick time benefits, and added incentive to attract future employees.
An eldercare program will allow the business to remain competitive and meet the challenges of today’s workforce.
And, as an aside, your employees are sure to value you, and consider your company a great place to work!
Arlene de Silva has over 30-years experience in senior executive leadership in eldercare in the United States. She works with companies nationally and internationally on long and short-term solutions to improve quality and financial viability. As CEO of Global Music & Wellness, an organization based in the United States, she promotes a culture of wellness through evidence-based recreational-music-making. She can be reached at arlenedesilva@gmail.com