Senior Caregiving Needs Spike for Employees During the Holidays

WALTHAM, Mass., Dec. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- While the demands of caregiving affect employees year round, caregiving concerns often surge during the holiday season. During this time, increased awareness of a parent's condition due to a chronic illness, Alzheimer's disease, or frailty can heighten stress and worry. These concerns don't stop once the holiday season is over and have a significant impact on workplace productivity year round.

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Jody Gastfriend, VP of Care Management at Care.com explains, "Going home for the holidays has layers of significance for adult children, particularly those who live out of town. It remains a time of togetherness and love, but it's also an opportunity to observe your parents' physical and mental health to determine if they're thriving or require greater assistance. We encourage families in this situation to communicate their concerns and develop a proactive approach to caregiving. This includes looking into all of their care options including employee benefits, to help avert a crisis."

Few employers currently offer support for caregiving employees. Gallup reports that only 27% of working caregivers can access a support group or health counselors with expertise about the condition of the person receiving care through their employee benefits.  Forward-thinking organizations like Santa Clara University, however, recognize the tremendous need for senior care support in the workplace.  By offering access to Care.com's Senior Care Counseling program, organizations enable employees to be at work, focused, and engaged regardless of the season because their care needs are met.

In fact, an employee at Santa Clara University in California recently estimated that Senior Care Counseling services from Care.com saved more than 45 hours of time that would have otherwise been lost productivity during work. 

"Faculty and staff at Santa Clara University were excited to learn that we are providing access to Care.com as part of their benefits package," said Ed Ryan, Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. "We are happy to provide Care.com memberships because supporting our employees' family needs contributes to greater satisfaction and work-life balance. Care.com's Senior Care Counseling program has been especially well-received, and a number of employees have already shared that they are grateful for the guidance the senior care counselors have provided."

About Care.com's Workplace Solutions

Care.com's Workplace Solutions provide broad-reaching, low cost, high impact solutions for employers looking to reduce costs resulting from care-related absences and distractions as well as improve employee wellness and loyalty.  From providing an executive with back-up childcare so they can lead a crucial meeting to helping a newly relocated employee reestablish their care network, Care.com enables employees to quickly and easily tackle care needs across the spectrum so they can focus on work.  In addition, Care.com's Senior Care Counseling services provide professional guidance to assist employees caring for aging loved ones.  Care.com's Workplace Solutions keeps top talent productive and engaged, and can be a primary resource for employees or an integral part of a comprehensive benefits program.

About Care.com, Inc.

Founded in 2006, Care.com (www.care.com) is the largest and fastest growing service used by families seeking high-quality care providers, providing a place to easily connect with hundreds of thousands of care providers, share care giving experiences and get advice. The company addresses the unique lifecycle of care needs that each family goes through - child care, special needs care, senior care, tutoring and lessons, pet care, housekeeping and more. To help ensure safety both online and at home, Care.com provides mom-reviewed profiles, monitored messaging, access to background checks, recorded references, and educational information on the interviewing process. Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions, technology companies, and professional services firms offer Care.com memberships as a benefit to employees through its Workplace Solutions program.

www.care.com | Twitter: @CareDotCom | Facebook: Care.com Fan Page

SOURCE Care.com, Inc.