Caregivers in the Workforce: Balancing Life, Work, and Policy
Through the Caregiver Support Initiative, it has become clear that those of us who care for a family member at home AND have a full-time job, are often strained beyond the breaking point. Through the work of the initiative, we have developed tools and resources to help. In December the Community Foundation Corporate Philanthropy Partners shared their concerns about the mental health and wellbeing of our workforce. We decided a community conversation with caregivers, employers, and experts around the challenges of balancing caregiving while working, will bring positive additional support and help many people in our community. The statistics about caregivers in the workforce are a compelling reason for employers to address the issue. 17% of the USA workforce provide care to an older adult and statistics are on the rise. Moreover, employees who are caregivers have 8% higher healthcare costs than non-caregiving employees. And locally, 71% of Washoe County employees who identified as caregivers stated their work had been affected due to their caregiving responsibilities. The average caregiving stint is 3.7 years. You are invited to join us for a panel discussion, “Caregivers in the Workforce, Balancing Life, Work and Policy”, to be held on Tuesday, April 24th, 5:30 pm at the Reno High School theater. Five expert speakers will address critical questions from both the caregiver and employer perspective. Time is reserved for questions from the audience. The speakers include Michael Marcus, MSW national expert on aging and community development, Dr. Jane Fisher, Director of the Nevada Caregiver Support Center, Dr. Larry Weiss, Founder, CEO and President of the Center for Healthy Aging, Laura Coger from the AARP Executive Council, and Chris Needham, Director of Wellness at Renown Health. This will be more than a conversation. Attendees will receive takeaway information: a “Caregiver Policy Toolkit”, with tips, suggestions, and strategies to consider that will improve the situation for caregivers, and for companies aiming to support and retain valuable employees who find themselves as primary caregivers. Please register today. Equally important, please share this information, particularly with friends or family who are caregivers that work, and with people you know in positions of leadership and/or human resources at local companies. Together we can continue to reach out and help with the ongoing challenges faced by caregivers. Chris Askin, President, and CEO Connecting people who care with causes that matter