Absenteeism in the Workplace Caused by ElderCare Needs and
Concerns

Many people do not realize the impact that caring for an elderly relative has on their
career.
Did you know that...

• Familial caregivers comprise eighty percent of the care given to an elder.
• One half to three quarters of caregivers live under the same roof with the elder.
• Most caregivers are women and are blood relatives of an elder or the spouses of sons with elderly loved ones.
• One third of caregivers are in the work force.

The pressure to meet the increased demands at home and keep up with the demands of a career can become overwhelming. They can also become detrimental to a caregiver's career. Days taken off to handle caregiver responsibilities lead to diminished work performance, resentment from coworkers, the exhaustion of sick and vacation time and fewer work hours per week.

What happens to the work load if an employee isn't working regular hours? With women, the work usually doesn't get done, as women tend to be more oriented to completion of tasks. Whereas men handle difficult workloads by cutting corners and thus make the quality of their work suffer. These effects on quality and quantity of work only serve to increase the stress that one feels. Another effect is missing opportunities for training and promotions and possibly giving up a career when caregiving gets to be too much.

What toll does this take in other areas of life? Loss of income from working fewer hours or leaving a job altogether forces families to alter their budgets to accommodate the decrease in income and fit in the new expenses of taking care of an elder.

Losses of fringe benefits like health insurance, life insurance, disability insurance and pension accounts can have just as devastating an effect as the loss of the job itself.

A caregiver has increased stress and guilt when family problems begin to arise. Children and spouses usually begin to feel neglected. A spouse may simply be too tired from caregiving to talk or spend time with their partner. Marital difficulties then spill over onto the rest of the family. Children react to what they see happening with parents and in turn can react negatively. The children's behavior is often the symptom of problems that need addressing.

Caregivers can also feel that their siblings and other relatives are not supportive and disputes over caregiving responsibilities can break apart families. The result are caregivers who feel more overwhelmed and stressed because family members are saying to them "you never do anything right."

What can be done to help caregivers balance the load? First, recognizing that there is only so much one person can do and letting others know his limits. Family and employers must recognize a person's limits and be there to support them. Help can range from enlisting the aid of paid help to dividing tasks among family members and friends who are available to help.

Employees can ask employers for help by working with them to form support groups with other caregivers. Employees should work with their bosses by explaining to them the kind of strain they are under. They should also find out what the company is willing to assist them with concerning scheduling, job sharing and flexible time off.

A last resort is to use the Family and Medical Leave Act policy that all employers of 15 or more employees are required to offer. The Family and Medical Leave Act states that
employers must give employees time off without pay to tend to personal family medical
issues. The time limit is up to 120 days of unpaid leave, with no loss of employment status or benefits. Often these benefits are thought of as taking a week or a month off at a time, but it does not have to be done this way. An employee can request two hours off here and there to tend to family medical issues, and not just take weeks or months off at a time. That's the Federal law, but it should only be used as a last resort because of the loss of income.

Many companies offer Employee Assistance Programs. These are programs that give
employees access to trained professionals who can help the family and employee look at their individual issues and suggest solutions. Another variation of an Employee Assistance Program is a telephone help line. These are staffed by people knowledgeable about elder care issues and resources in the community where the elder lives. They can suggest solutions based on an assessment of a situation and can help caregivers consider other topics they had not thought of. They also help the employee look at available resources and get education on how to receive and use a resource to best advantage.

One last thing to remember is that caregiving is a challenge, but it doesn't have to mean a complete loss of lifestyle or forfeit of what's important to you.

Info. provided by Elder Care Advocates- www.eldercareadvocates.com

If you have any question/ concerns or need assistance contact your local Geriatric Care Manager: Sheri D. Fanning, RN,CMC at 269-5888 or e-mail to sheri@caremate.com