Are employers starting to take notice of a need for senior care leave?Businesses have long recognized the need for new parents to take some time from their career to concentrate on the many requirements of an infant, but what has been recognized much less is the essential need for adult children to take time off to care for their older loved ones. Yet as our life expectancy continues to increase, and as baby boomers are moving into their senior years, the balancing act to manage a career and a family has become more prevalent.
And trying to manage a career alongside senior care requirements can be hugely challenging. The truth is, providing care alone, without adding in work-related stress, places caregivers at an increased chance of depression, drug abuse, and a variety of physical concerns: coronary disease, infections, and cancer, just to list a few.
And while the Family and Medical Leave Act ensures that employees of larger companies gain access to twelve weeks of unpaid leave, only 13% of employees receive paid family leave – a significant thing for many to make certain monetary requirements are met. And a full one in every seven employees who takes care of an older parent wind up reducing their time at the office, accepting a lesser-paying job, or departing the workforce altogether.
One potential solution to keep a close watch on is the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Act, or FAMILY Act, introduced in 2017 to give partial income to family caregivers for approximately twelve weeks for providing care for a loved one facing a health concern. Currently, five states have enacted similar policies (New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and California – plus Washington, DC).
Although paid leave for caregivers is expensive for employers, Maureen Corcoran of Prudential Financial notes, “It is not more costly than losing employees early to disability, to early retirement, to presenteeism (when employees show up for work but don’t get much done).”
The good news is, there is one other answer readily available to all family caregivers: partnering with a professional Portage in-home care agency like Home Sweet Home In-Home Care. We provide family members with the peace of mind necessary to focus at work, confident their senior loved one is getting the best possible quality of care, customized to every individual’s distinct needs. Check out what areas outside of Portage, MI that we service.
Call us at 269-849-9252 or contact us online to learn more about our professional in-home care services, to request educational resources specific to the precise struggles your senior loved one is dealing with, or to obtain a complimentary in-home consultation to see how we’re able to help you establish an appropriate life balance.