Eldercare: A Growing Concern in Relocation

(Article originally published by WFC Resources, July 2006, as a Guest Column written by Amy Roman, BR Anchor Publishing)

Eldercare: A Growing Concern in Relocation

Employees are looking more and more to their employers for support with family issues, especially when they must relocate. The concerns that top the list today in employee relocation, and even show signs of increased usage, are childcare, eldercare, spouse employment assistance and assistance in finding schools. Although social norms continue to evolve and change, most experts agree the need for family assistance policies and programs will continue to increase along with the development of new creative solutions.

As the workforce ages, eldercare is a concern for more and more of those who are relocating. Today approximately one in four workers are managing an eldercare situation, and surveys suggest that almost half the workforce expects to be looking at caring for an older friend or relative in the years just ahead. The number of people 65 years and older will increase from 35 million in 2003 to 70 million people by the year 2030. Clearly the need to address the increase in eldercare concerns now and in the future is critical.

Most Employees Left on Their Own

While the eldercare issue is becoming a pressing concern as more and more people become responsible for taking care of their aging parents, the trend for eldercare support in human resources is to provide minimal guidance. The majority of corporate employees are still left on their own when it comes to eldercare guidance. Many report difficulty finding quality and affordable eldercare, companions (adult daycare), transportation, home-health and homemaker services. According to results from Atlas Van Lines' 38th Annual Corporate Relocation Survey, assistance for the Employee includes:

79% – No eldercare assistance
7% – Allow transferee to use pre-tax dollars for outside care
5% – Move an elderly relative that does not live with a transferee presently, but will live with the
transferee in the new location
3% – Provide list of nursing homes and/or daycare centers
2% – Move an elderly relative that does not live with a transferee
2% – Reimburse for outside care

Avenues of Assistance

Employers typically help transferring employees find the best schools and programs for their children, but human resource managers may not know how to assist workers who are sole caregivers for aging parents. The biggest help they can give is also the easiest, and that is to understand the issues and be willing to address individual employees' needs.

When the "sandwich generation" (those responsible for both child and eldercare issues) is asked to relocate, there's the burden of finding appropriate care for elders in addition to the needs of the immediate family. This issue can deter employees from relocating and thus poses a problem for human resource professionals looking to entice employees to accept a transfer or to attract new talent to the organization.

Eldercare relocation assistance could mean moving the relative from an assisted living facility in one community to another, or moving a relative from the family home into a facility in the new city. Other options might include arranging daycare or transportation for a home-based relative, finding new geriatric medical resources or helping employees make arrangements to leave a relative behind. The more employers and work-life companies assist with these efforts, the better the chance of retaining a well-rounded employee.

Advice When Selecting Caregiving Facilities

Whether you choose a home care provider or an assisted living facility, it is most important that you request references from doctors, patients or family members who are familiar with the provider's quality of service. Be sure to visit several facilities before selecting one. And in both cases, ask how personnel are screened and how they follow up on and resolve problems that arise. Everyone's situation needs to be evaluated and quality care obtained no matter what living conditions you choose.

The Bottom-Line

As caregiving becomes more intense over time, working caregivers are forced to adjust their work-life balance. The most significant adjustment (and most costly to the employer) is a decision to leave the workforce in order to become a full-time caregiver, or to pass up the opportunities that come with an employee relocation. Results from a study featured on the NurseNavigator Website clearly show the scope of the problem for employees and employers alike:

33% cut back on hours worked
25% passed up an opportunity for relocation or transfer
22% took a leave of absence from job
20% shifted status from full- to part-time
16% left their job

Also from NurseNavigator: “Employees frequently make the decision to quit because they do not get the right kind of eldercare support. Reducing the number of employees who quit or decline a relocation significantly impacts recruitment and retention costs.”

Keep the Work/Life Balance

Experts agree there's room for improvement in the area of eldercare concerns and relocation, and work-life organizations can help. To quote the 2004 Worldwide Employee Relocation Council (ERC) Family Issues Survey, “Organizations seem to be more sensitive to employee family needs, trying to accommodate them, if not through formal policies, then on a case by case basis.”

The key is to always create an environment that provides the answers, assurances and options needed to achieve the peace of mind and the work-life balance employees seek.

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Amy Roman is Executive Director of BR Anchor Publishing. She has a Masters Degree in Counseling/Psychology from Lesley University of Cambridge, MA and lends this expertise, as well as her experience from 24 moves, to all of BR Anchor Publishing’s domestic and international relocation books. Amy also coordinates the company’s international, monthly newsletter, Relocation Today. Contact her at aroman@branchor.com.