Nearly 70% of unpaid family caregivers fear they’ll have to leave their jobs without support from hired in-home help, while nearly half said they would benefit from help with coordinating care for a loved one, according to a survey released this week.
Homethrive, Home Instead, and Certification in Long-Term Care (CLTC) co-sponsored the “Following The Journey of Family Caregivers” study. It examined the struggles of working caregivers in the United States.
Renowned researcher Eileen J. Tell, CEO of ET Consulting, LLC presented the study this week at the CLTC Leadership Summit in Minneapolis.
Among the survey’s other key findings:
- 62% of working unpaid family caregivers are women.
- 33% said it was very important to hire paid home care because they’re burned out.
- 26% said they needed help because they had trouble juggling working while caregiving.
- Only 6% said they found paid help via an employer-provided caregiving benefit.
“I think it’s crucial that employers understand how important it is for family caregivers to feel like they don’t have to choose between their jobs and the roles of family caregiver,” said Tell. “I’d like to see more services and support offered through employers so that working caregivers can get the help they need for the role they have.”
Read more about the survey to gain additional perspectives and insights.
To hear Eileen J. Tell’s advice for employers, listen to our special podcast episode below!