Deb Burton | R.I. Elder Info executive director
Businesses nationwide lose billions of dollars annually due to absenteeism, lack of presenteeism, crisis management and reduced work schedules for full-time employees who are caring for aging loved ones.
The R.I. Society for Human Resource Management recently conducted a survey on behalf of R.I. Elder Info. The survey found that in the last year almost 80% of respondents had employees take time off to care for an aging loved one. The impact of unexpected time off, or premature resignations, spans the career ladder from entry level to the C-suite.
What can you do to support your employees who are caring for aging loved ones?
• Encourage dialogue about caregiving for all ages.
• Provide information on community-based resources.
• Hold monthly lunch and learns with elder care experts.
• Host a health fair that includes resources for successful aging.
• Offer consultations with elder care experts.
• Subsidize backup care to help employees pay for in-home care in emergencies.
• Create an employee caregiver support group.
Rhode Island has a wide range of available resources for seniors and caregivers.
At R.I. Elder Info, our core belief is that information is power and no one should struggle to live a healthy, safe, dignified and happy life from a lack of it.