Aging is no business for the timid. The limitations that confront us as we get older can make even the most mundane daily tasks difficult, from keeping our homes tidy to getting to the doctor’s office.
But the challenges of aging don’t fall on the elderly alone. They are shared by the family and friends who help with transportation, grocery shopping, housework, meal preparation, financial management, medication management, and a continuing list of responsibilities both large and small.
The burden is also shared by the businesses that employ these unpaid caregivers and see their stress, distraction, and erratic schedules reflected in the workplace.
Consider the following:
- As recently as 2009, nearly 62 million Americans provided unpaid care for one or more adults, with nearly half taking care of someone 75 or older.
- The caregivers were, themselves, nearly 50 years old on average and spent more than 20 hours a week providing care.
No wonder these responsibilities can affect caregivers’ physical and emotional health. No wonder, either, that employers are losing billions in lost productivity.
Over the next few weeks we will review the challenges of senior care as they fall on family members and their employers. The challenge is becoming greater, and it will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. But it is not unmanageable. In fact, Stay at Home exists for such challenges. Our expertise, reliability, and flexible schedules should be welcome news for families and employers alike.
To family members, we say you don’t have to run yourself ragged and make yourself sick with lost sleep and worry. To employers, we say you don’t have to watch helplessly as you lose experienced employees. You have the means to keep your staff happy, at work, and on the payroll.