Some large American firms now offering help with at-home care as part of their Employee Assistance Programmes

Some large American firms now offering help with at-home care as part of their Employee Assistance Programmes

Juggling being a care giver and trying to hold down a job creates stress for employee and employer alike – but it’s increasingly becoming the norm for many of us, as we look after our elderly and young.

Care home fees can go through the roof, so many of us want to put off going down that route for as long as possible. Plus, there’s the emotional side of wanting to do our best when it comes to elderly family members who, after all, are the ones who brought us up.

So where can an EAP step in? Over in the United States, some large companies – including ones listed on Fortune 500 – are now reported to be offering care giving services as part of their EAP, as stated by Home Health Care News in this interesting article.

Home Health Care reports how one provider, FirstLight, which offers in-home care, has now linked up with some large companies to help employees who are trying to arrange these practical services for their loved ones.

The issue is a big one: according to a 2018 Harvard Business School study around a third of surveyed employees said they had left their job due to personal care giving responsibilities with 80 per cent saying their care giving duties affected their productivity at work.

Services provided through an EAP offer the employee the chance to arrange care, often when an existing care plan has fallen through.

UK EAPA chair Eugene Farrell says: “Many people across the UK are providing regular care to their loved ones. While they do this out of love and support, there is no doubt that it brings an extra layer of responsibility which can affect a person in the workplace. News from the USA that now some employees can actually access practical, in-house care support through their EAP is great to hear. It shows that an EAP can provide a very broad offer to staff, as well as the confidential, 24/7 support that is the backbone of the service. I welcome these developments from overseas and would be very interested to hear anything similar happening in the UK.”