Some months ago we read a report on the blog of the AARP that revealed a problem too often overlooked, but one that will sound familiar to a significant number of Americans. The problem is the growing number of people, estimated at nearly 24 million workers, who are holding down paying jobs while at the same time serving as family caregivers. That’s a sure prescription for stress, fatigue and uncertainty, not only for employees but also for employers. “For employers big and small,” says AARP, “the need to support workers who also provide unpaid care for a family member is a growing reality.”
You can read the AARP article by clicking here. Even though the article first appeared in mid-2016, the information – and the predicament of working caregivers that it describes – are all too relevant today. For a more recent look at this issue, we suggest this more recent article just published in the popular magazine Consumer Reports.
These days, says AARP, serving as a caregiver to an adult relative (especially an aging parent) is growing more and more complex than it may have been in the past. Caregivers today often have to navigate a fiendishly complicated health care delivery system while performing more intense and complex care in the home, all while coping with the demands of work. Research suggests that employed caregivers feel a growing sense of stress and performance anxiety at work, with more and more pressure and less and less job security. Research also reveals that parents who are caring for young children at home often enjoy far more workplace flexibility than workers who are caring for older family members. Some caregivers even suggest they have experienced workplace discrimination, which according to an AARP research report from 2012, is not prohibited by most federal and state employment laws.
In a study entitled Caregiving in the United States 2015, cited by AARP, about 60 percent of family caregivers report they are also employed outside the home, and most of these “working caregivers” (nearly two-thirds) are caring for a relative 65 years old or older. According to the Consumer Reports story, “Providing care for a friend or family member is a labor of love for the 40 million people who are coping with that challenge. But taking on caregiving responsibilities can be costly.” The article quotes a 2016 AARP survey which found that unpaid caregivers spend an average of almost $7,000 a year on out-of-pocket expenses. But that’s only part of the financial burden on caregivers. “An earlier AARP study estimated that missed wages and Social Security benefits totaled $234,000 for male caregivers and $324,000 for women, who are more likely to drop out of the workforce.” This loss has a lifetime effect on their retirement future.
As if this weren’t enough of a recipe for stress, the caregivers are also aging: half of these employed caregivers are themselves 50 years old or older, which means they are already experiencing the challenges of being an older worker in today’s high-stress, increasingly insecure workplace.
There are two chief take-aways from these articles. The first, in the words of the AARP blog: “As the U.S. population rapidly ages, the need to support workers with family caregiving responsibilities will grow.” In other words, AARP favors more generous family leave and paid sick day policies, along with greater work flexibility for caregivers. The organization advocates legislation to give caregivers increased measures of employment security and, when necessary, paid time off. Above all, we need a “culture of understanding about eldercare needs” especially as they affect those in the workplace.
The second point is more concerning: as the population ages, “we’re facing a caregiving cliff,” said Dr. Susan Reinhard, AARP Public Policy expert. “By mid-century, there will only be three caregivers available for each person requiring care.” As today’s baby boomers age, there may not be enough people able to care for them. “That means,” says AARP’s Reinhard, “we need to provide support for existing caregivers who are underserved” by current services. In other words, we had better be planning now for the caregiving needs of the not-too-distant future.
Planning for the future is the centerpiece of our activities here at AgingOptions, and that includes planning for your future care needs. This will most probably involve your family members, because aging is a family affair. Have you sat down and talked with your adult children about your expectations and wishes for the future? Have you and your family members had an honest conversation about the fears and concerns each of you is experiencing as you contemplate your aging years? Far too many families leave these issues unaddressed and unresolved until it’s too late. Here at AgingOptions, we frequently conduct family conferences in which all these issues are laid out on the table for open, constructive discussion. We would be glad to do that for you. Through planning and preparation, you can successfully avoid becoming a burden to your loved ones as you age, and also avoid being forced into unplanned institutional care.
The key is to have your own personalized AgingOptions LifePlan – our name for a fully-developed, individualized retirement plan that takes all your needs into account: financial plans, legal protection, medical coverage, housing options and family communication. If you’re ready to start creating your own LifePlan, we can help. The best way to start is to join Rajiv Nagaich at one of our free LifePlanning Seminars – popular, information-packed sessions held in various locations throughout the area. These seminars fill up fast, however, so we encourage you not to wait. Instead you can click here for dates, and free online registration. It will be a pleasure working with you as together we plan your ideal future.
(originally reported at http://blog.aarp.org)