Pre-Planning a Plus

In terms of caregiving, we are often thrust into a situation that is going to change things for our families logistically, financially and emotionally. We have to keep in mind to react to our new situation logically. The key to this is to research all available elder care options before making a hasty decision that will affect both our lives and the lives of our loved ones. There are several different types of elder care facilities that are available and some factors to look at when making your decision include:

• What does each facility have to offer?
• How much do the facilities cost?
• How will these costs increase based on level of care needed by your parent or loved one?
• How does each facility measure up in terms of quality of care?
• What option is going to work best for one or both of your parents?

But why should the burden be left on you to make these decisions? Sitting down with your parents or loved ones to discuss and pre-plan what methods will be used if/when the time for caregiving comes will alleviate stress for both them and for you. This should be a process and not a single discussion that requires a definitive outcome. Let your parents be involved as much as possible for it is their every day lives that are being discussed. Here are some topics to think about during these talks.

• Your parent(s) health and finances
• Needs / wants for socialization
• Risk and value of moving versus "aging in place"
• Size and style of facilities to suit your parents needs (smaller care homes, residential communities for the elderly, assisted living and continued care retirement communities)

Planning and preparedness will help all involved with this emotional time. Having a plan of action in place will allow you to worry about things of more importance such as the health of your loved one and what you can do to continue to make them comfortable during these trying times.

The Effect on the Workplace

In a recent publication, The Family Caregiver Alliance estimated that one out of four households in the United States has some involvement in caring for a family member 50 years or older. Between one third and one half of these caregivers also work outside of the home. In the workplace, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) allows eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to be used all at once or intermittently for serious illnesses to themselves or a family member, including an elderly parent. These demographic and government changes are creating an increasing amount of problems for employers who are having to juggle their staffing schedules when the caregiver needs to tend to more important issues at home than at work.

But many work places are realizing that this is a sign of the times as the demographics of our nation changes and we become an "older" population. Companies are becoming more flexible with their work structures and some have even offered elder care assistance. It is in the employer's best interest to show some efforts to help the caregiver and let them know that they are still valued by the organization. It is the hope of these companies that these offered benefits result in employee loyalty, productivity and retention of their workers.

One never knows when they will called on to care for a loved one. Caregiving is going to be a part of all of our lives at one point in time. Whether to boss or assistant, compassion to all employees will only help the reputation of the business and make it a better environment for productivity and teamwork.