CAREGIVERS AT WORK

It can be extremely stressful to be a working individual as well as a caregiver for a loved one. Not knowing how your loved one is doing while you're away at work can become a major distraction and may cause you to leave work early and/or take more days off. It is estimated that more than half of employed caregivers work full-time, and according to a survey from Gallup-Healthways conducted in 2011, "Caregivers working at least 15 hours per week indicated that this assistance significantly affected their work life."

Having to rearrange your work schedule and decrease your hours may feel inconsequential when it comes to helping your loved one, but it can have massive impacts on your well-being and future. Employed caregivers who rearrange their schedules can suffer loss of wages, Social Security benefits and health insurance, as well as retirement savings. Gallup-Healthways also reported that in 2011, caregiver absenteeism cost the U.S. economy "an estimated $25.2 billion in lost productivity." This situation is detrimental to both sides.

Many employed caregivers feel an obligation to check in with their loved ones and be present to have the most updated information on their loved one's condition. We created the Care Card for situations just like this. If you're at work and want to receive updates about your loved one from a caregiver at home, you can receive notifications without ever leaving your office. By connecting everyone who cares for your loved one with the Care Card, they can all input updates as they interact with him/her. Our goal is always to keep everyone on the same page, and if you can know how your loved one is doing without having to leave the office, productivity is likely to increase and you won't have to worry about losing any of your benefits down the road.

-Steffi Bolton
https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffi-b-1136a193/