Companies have long acknowledged the necessity for new parents to take some time from their career to concentrate on the many requirements of a newborn, but what has been acknowledged far less is the essential need for adult children to take time away to care for their older loved ones. Yet as our life expectancy continues to expand, and as baby boomers are entering into their senior years, the balancing act to manage professional and family lives is becoming more prevalent.
And trying to manage a career alongside senior care requirements can be hugely challenging. As a matter of fact, providing care alone, even without adding in work-related stress, places caregivers at a greater chance of depression, substance abuse, and a variety of physical issues: cardiovascular illnesses, infections, and cancer, just to identify a few.
And while the Family and Medical Leave Act helps to ensure that employees of larger companies get access to 12 weeks of unpaid leave, only 13% of employees receive paid family leave – a significant component for many individuals to make sure monetary requirements are met. And a full one out of every seven employees who looks after an older family member wind up decreasing their time in the workplace, taking a lesser-paying position, or departing the workforce entirely.
One possible answer to keep a close watch on is the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Act, or FAMILY Act, introduced last year to provide partial income to family caregivers for approximately 12 weeks for providing care for aging parents facing a health issue. To date, five states have enacted similar policies (New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and California – plus Washington, DC).
Although paid leave for caregivers is costly 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).”
Thankfully, there is one more answer readily available to all family caregivers: partnering with an established at home senior care agency like Independence-4-Seniors Home Care. We provide family members with the peace of mind necessary to focus in the office, knowing their senior loved one is getting the best possible quality of care, personalized to each individual’s distinct needs.
Contact us at (630) 323-4665 for more information on our expert Hinsdale at home senior care services, to request educational resources specific to the challenges your senior loved one is experiencing, and to obtain a no-cost in-home consultation to understand how we’re able to enable you to regain a healthy life balance.