EMPLOYEE ELDER CARE DUTIES & CAREGIVING BURDEN

About the Book

Elder care is a growing concern for corporate America. As the aged population continues to grow, the number of working caregivers will rise. Secondly, with more women in the workforce than ever before, there are likely to be fewer "traditional" caregivers at home to care for the elderly. Many caregivers are also caring for dependent children as well as an elderly person. Only a small number of businesses and corporations have taken steps to institute policies or benefits which will assist caregivers. Companies need to know who are the caregivers and what caregiving and workplace problems they are experiencing.

A timebound, correlational research design, using focus group surveys was used to gather data on Yavapai County government employees who were experiencing elder care responsibilities. One of the greatest needs mentioned was assistance in finding a way through the bureaucracy of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. This suggests that these services are not easily accessible, especially to the working caregiver who has to find time during the work day to access any of these agencies.

The data were analyzed to address the major research questions of the study. Interviews revealed that caregivers did perceive some of their caregiving experience as a burden, at a probability level of p < .05 and n = 125. Some caregivers reported they did not know how or where to find information and referral services they needed. Based upon the interviews, implications for caregivers, Yavapai County decision makers, legislators and those in the helping professions were discussed. Areas of future caregiving research were also identified.

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