As a human resource leader, you’re well aware of the challenges your employees face on a daily basis. From balancing work and family life to managing their own physical and mental health, there’s a lot on their plates. For those employees who are also caring for a loved one, the challenges can be even greater. A few months ago, we posted a blog article called Caregiving 101. Now that we’ve covered the basics of what family caregiving means, we invite you to take a deeper look at the support options available for your employees.
Caregiving support benefits offer a wide range of resources and types of support designed to assist caregivers in their roles and to support their overall well-being. They can help your employees navigate challenges associated with finding reliable child care, caring for an aging parent, selecting the best Medicare plan, understanding a new medical diagnosis, locating cost-saving resources, and much more. Here’s an in-depth explanation of the type of resources and support you can expect your employees to gain access to when it comes to caregiving benefits:
- One key resource that’s part of a family caregiving benefit is concierge research services. Often, caregivers spend hours researching the best care options for their loved ones, including in-home assistance, adult daycare, or even a temporary stay in a nursing home. By having an expert complete this research on the caregiver’s behalf, they’re able to take a much-needed break and recharge their batteries, which can be critical in preventing caregiver burnout.
- Another critical source of support for caregivers are caregiving experts who specialize in helping employees navigate the challenges of family caregiving. With family caregiving benefits, employees needing assistance are often paired 1:1 with an expert to talk through challenges and work together to come up with an action plan. These caregiving experts act as the “quarterback” of the care team, coordinating all aspects of care, including calling service providers, making medical appointments, and more, all of which are tasks that take place during the workday.
- Another benefit is educational resources. Caregiving can be a complex and overwhelming experience, especially for those who are new to it. Providing convenient access to digestible and informative resources can help caregivers better understand their loved one’s needs and how to manage them. This can include information on types of senior housing, Medicare plan options, how to select a therapist for a loved one with special needs, tips for practicing self-care, and much, much more.
- Financial and legal support for family caregivers is critical. Caregiving specialists can point your employees in the direction of financial assistance programs available in their loved one’s area. Plus, when a loved one is ill, it’s critical to ensure all important legal documents and advance directives are in place. Caregiving specialists can recommend legal experts that specialize in preparing these documents, providing invaluable peace of mind.
- In addition to these more traditional benefits, there are also a range of other resources and services that can be offered to caregivers. These can include counseling and support groups, which can provide a safe space for caregivers to share their experiences and to receive emotional support.
Finally, it’s important to remember caregiving support benefits aren’t just for caregivers themselves. Providing resources and support to caregivers can also benefit the care recipient and ultimately, the entire family. This can lead to improved health outcomes, better quality of life, higher career satisfaction, lower attrition rates, and even cost savings for the employer in the long run.
As a people leader, we know you strive to ensure your employees have the resources and support they need to succeed in their roles and to thrive as human beings. To support caregivers, this means going beyond traditional benefits and offering highly specialized resources and services that can help them navigate the immense challenges of caregiving.
By providing caregiving support benefits, you can help your employees balance the demands of work and caregiving and ultimately, create a more supportive and successful workplace for all. To learn more about providing (much needed) family caregiving support to your employees, check out more resources on our website. To receive insights delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our weekly newsletter!