It should come as no surprise that working adults now caring for their parents are stretched thin and stressed out. And that’s taking a toll on their physical and mental health, as well as their personal lives. What’s more, caregivers say they need more support from their employers, too.
The results of a new survey of 350 working caregivers conducted by Health Advocate — a Pennsylvania-based health and patient advocacy and assistance company — provides greater insight into the impact of caregiving and provides employers with suggestions on how to more effectively support this employee group.
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Top caregiving responsibilities of survey respondents include performing household tasks (77%), administering medications and managing medical appointments (74%), preparing meals and assisting with feeding (71%), assisting with personal care (68%), and coordinating health care services and communicating with providers (67%). Nearly three-quarters (70%) rated their caregiver burden during the past two weeks a five or higher on a scale of 1 to 10.
Additionally, nearly all working caregivers (90%) reported spending at least 10 hours per week on caregiving tasks, and 50% indicated they spend 20 or more hours. As those hours add up, caregivers miss work and often wind up using paid time off to manage their caregiving responsibilities.
“About half of respondents report only being moderately, slightly, or not at all satisfied with how well they are balancing their job and caregiving tasks, with 55% indicating they have felt they had to choose between work and caregiving duties,” the survey report notes. “Nearly 80% … shared they would be more likely to choose an employer who prioritized caregiving as part of its benefits offerings.”
Respondents indicated they would find the following seven expert services valuable if offered by their employer:
• Access to nurse support (66%)
• Mental and emotional counseling (59%)
• Access to experts for assistance navigating benefits, billing, claims, and more (50%)
• Resources to locate care services, facilities, and equipment (42%)
• A nurse’s virtual attendance at all provider visits with care recipients (35%)
• Legal and/or financial support (35%)
• Interpretation services at medical appointments (15%)
“Employers can ease caregiving stress by offering benefits and resources that support employees both at work and home,” the report concluded. “Critically, almost 90% of those surveyed shared that these types of services would improve their quality of life, leading to improved health and wellbeing, increased productivity, and other important benefits.”
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