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- "I CARE"......November is National Family Caregivers Month. How are you celebrating?
"I CARE"......November is National Family Caregivers Month. How are you celebrating?
ieadvocates
November 05, 2024
Working Caregivers-The Invisible Employees Newsletter
Brought to you by ieadvocates (invisible employee advocates)
“I CARE”......November is National Family Caregivers Month. How are you celebrating?
Thank you for being here!
I care. Many of us care. Over 53 million to be more specific.
Though caregiving can be a 24/7 twelve months a year responsibility, the month of November is “National Family Caregivers Month” and it is a time to raise awareness about the burden millions of Americans take on as an unpaid family caregiver. This is very important since this burden can at times force a family caregiver to reduce their working hours or quit their job. They need support. President Biden in his proclamation emphasizes this point well:
Family caregivers are the backbone of our Nation, making tremendous sacrifices to be there for the people who need and cherish them most. This month, we honor their selfless love and courage, and we recommit to getting them the support they deserve. They should know their country has their backs.
The fact that you are reading this newsletter is a great first step in honoring caregivers and celebrating this month. Please be more aware and informed about the caregiver crisis that our country is facing and help our caregivers become more visible and supported.
Whether you’re an employer, business manager, HR, or a working caregiver, this newsletter offers valuable insights along with win-win-win simple solutions to help implement meaningful change for organizations, employees who are caregivers, and their care recipients.
Table of Contents
In the news:
Latest research, events, and articles that are making an impact for working caregivers and their employers.
National Family Caregivers Month: A Time to Honor Those Caring for a Loved One
The Caregiver Action Network is America’s leading family caregiver organization. Their mission clearly states why they are so important to society that faces a caregiver crisis: to promote resourcefulness and respect for tens of millions of family caregivers across the country. Each year they select the theme for National Family Caregivers Month, a month dedicated to recognizing and honoring millions of unpaid family caregivers. This year’s theme, “I Care,” was created to shine a spotlight on the issue of self identity. Not self-identifying or self-recognizing while on a caregiver journey has been shown to be a significant barrier to caregivers accessing the information and resources needed to get critical support.
“The gap between those providing care and those who self-identify as caregivers keeps them from accessing the resources that could help them,” said Marvell Adams Jr., CAN CEO. “We’re hoping that caregivers will see themselves in this campaign and, as a result, connect to the information and resources to support them."
Guiding caregiving employees:
It’s complicated
S&P Global and AARP conducted two studies focused on work experiences of caregivers from both the working caregiver perspective and from employer representatives (HR professionals). They claim that studying both will help determine the gap between what employers offer in terms of support and what caregivers can use. This current study surveyed 505 US human resources (HR) professionals with the goal to gain a better understanding of how employers support caregivers. The previous study conducted in September and October of 2023 surveyed 1,200 full-time and part-time employees of US companies (with more than 1,000 employees) who provided more than six hours of unpaid care a week to another adult. That study, “Working while caregiving: It’s complicated”, can be found here.
Here are some highlights from the current study:
“Despite both employers and employees reporting high levels of support for caregivers of adults, workplace policies aimed at helping working caregivers are often not formalized.
Caregivers of adults typically use paid leave that is not specifically designated for caregiving.
Although managers play a role in helping employees use their benefits, they are not the main messengers of caregiving policies.
Employers face hurdles in enacting policies for caregivers, including a lack of detailed knowledge about what caregiver benefits entail and fears that policies will be abused or that other workers will need to pick up the slack.
Most companies offer flexibility in both work location and hours when they can, though enacting caregiver- friendly policies may be difficult for those with high proportions of hourly workers.
Parental benefits, in general, are also more common than benefits for caregivers of adults.
State and local legislatures increasingly recognize the need to provide working caregivers with support, including paid family leave laws that cover leave for caregiving. “
Did you know? (Read our blog):
Our blog brings you knowledge, personal and researched, to raise your awareness and empathy about working caregivers and caregiving.
Are you aware of the 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers? (Blog 11/5/24)
A comprehensive plan of action, the 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers, was developed jointly by the Advisory Councils established by the RAISE (Recognize, Assist, Include, Support and Engage) Family Caregiving Act and the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act. They had extensive input from family caregivers, the people they support and other stakeholders. It took several years of focused effort to develop. It contains close to 500 steps that can be undertaken by government, public, and private sectors to promote the physical and financial well-being of family caregivers. The strategy is the culmination of input and hard work from numerous interest groups including: service providers, advocates, policy makers, philanthropic organizations, family caregivers and care recipients. Participants include over 150 organizations spanning both the private and non-profit sectors, as well as numerous federal agencies.
People and Companies In the spotlight:
Our podcast puts a spotlight on guests who are making a significant difference in the working caregiver space.
Episode 5: Why Every Workplace Should Host a Senior Shower for Caregivers with Jenn Chan
In this episode, we welcome Jenn Chan, an inspiring caregiver advocate and entrepreneur. Jenn shares her personal journey of becoming a family caregiver for her grandmother at a young age, discussing the struggles and rewards of balancing work with caregiving responsibilities. We dive into the importance of recognizing caregivers in the workplace, the significance of having supportive employers, and Jenn’s exciting new project: the Senior Shower Project, which celebrates caregivers through special events akin to baby showers. Tune in to discover how employers can create a culture that supports working caregivers and why normalizing caregiving conversations is so crucial.
We also challenge our listeners to host the first Senior Shower at their workplace. Will it be you?! Contact Jenn Chan to learn more about it!
Stories From Real Working Caregivers:
Actual working caregivers share their stories.
Dan Schlein is an experienced civil litigator and labor and employment law specialist. He has extensive experience representing both public and private sector clients as well as providing training in employment law and designing complaint processes. In addition to his own practice, he also served as Of Counsel to the firm of Adams, Gutierrez and Lattibouderein Newark, New Jersey, where he assisted in the representation of public entities. Dan was also an Assistant Director with the pharmaceutical company Pfizer in Manhattan, where he worked as a dispute resolution and employment law specialist. In his current role, Dan helps oversee programs to reduce risks posed by third-party service providers for a bank in New York City. Dan earned his law degree from George Washington University and holds a Master’s degree in Politics from the University of Oxford. He is a member of the bars of New York, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the Federal District Court for the District of New Jersey and the Federal District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
“I have to say, one of the things that has taken a hit is that it's been difficult for me to maintain many of my friendships – personal or professional relationships - over the past several years. I'm working constantly on the job. I get five hours a night sleep regularly. So, I worry about the impact on my own health, as well.”
“Try to take care of yourself, because unless you take care of yourself, you can't help others. And try to set boundaries, try to get decent sleep, try to eat healthily. Of course, all that can be incredibly hard to do on a consistent basis, because for many of us each day brings unpredictable challenges and turmoil. But try to be focused on finding a little place of calm, whether it be meditation or walks in the park and give yourself a breather every now and again. You have to remind yourself sometimes you're only human.”
Recommended media content:
We explore and share with you diverse media illuminating the dynamics and narratives within the care economy - from insightful podcasts to thought-provoking books and engaging videos.
PODCASTS
The Business Logic Of Supporting Carers In The Workforce. Hosts Bill Kerr and Joe Fuller. Employers can benefit by remapping their talent strategies to match the realities of workers with caregiving responsibilities. Bill Kerr is joined by his Managing the Future of Work co-chair and podcast co-host, Joe Fuller, lead author of the project’s latest report, Hidden Workers: The Case for Caregivers (pdf).
VIDEOS
Monica Diaz-Meek of WMGT 41 NBC News interviews Leslie Poole, Program Innovation Manager, of the Rosalynn Carter Institute For Caregivers (RCI). From their website: “RCI was created with the grounding philosophy of prioritizing family caregivers beyond the specific issue or health condition of those in their care. Rosalynn Carter continuously said, “There are only four kinds of people in the world. Those who have been caregivers. Those who are currently caregivers. Those who will be caregivers, and those who will need a caregiver.”
BOOKS
Navigating The Caregiver River: A Journey To Sustainable Caregiving by Theresa Wilbanks. Theresa Wilbanks is a friend and a fellow caregiver advocate. She cared for her father until he passed at the age of 99. During that time, she learned that caring for a family member is overwhelming, lonely, and stirs the perfect storm of emotions. When she learned to set boundaries, use mindfulness to enhance awareness, identify when winning was losing and equally important, when losing was winning, she began to manage the thoughts and emotions that were causing crippling stress. We thank her for all she does on behalf of working caregivers.
A caregiving guidebook to help you navigate your caregiving journey with skill and confidence, Navigating the Caregiver River: A Journey to Sustainable Caregiving empowers the family caregiver with tools and strategies to create a sustainable caregiving experience for the duration of the journey.
With humor and vulnerability, Theresa shares her story and the strategies that helped her move from drowning to navigating. Travel along and hold on through the rapids, loosen your grip to steer over and around the obstacles, and enjoy the float through the calm sections. Learn tips to manage hospitalizations, when driving is no longer safe, medication management, and more.
We want to thank Dr. Harrison Pidgeon who took the time to read our book and provide a thoughtful review!
As a physician, I see all types of caregivers that accompany my patients. How some manage to keep it all together for themselves, their loved ones, and be functional workers is quite the feat!
This book provides great insight to business leaders to improve the health of their companies. The authors highlight this otherwise invisible group of workers with dual identities as caregivers. They offer directives towards creating a care culture in the workplace that will only become more and more important as our society ages. If you’re a business owner and don’t realize that you more than likely have employees that are caregivers, this will soon become quite obvious to you! I highly recommend reading this book!
Order your copy of Working Caregivers-The Invisible Employees book here. If you want to order a quantity of books for your leadership team and employees, contact us directly about discount pricing.
Order Working Caregivers-The Invisible Employees Book here
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