Information on Family Caregivers
The MetLife Caregiving Cost Study: Productivity Losses to US Business
In July 2006, The MetLife Mature Market Institute® joined with the National Alliance for Caregiving to publish this report. Every year US businesses’ incur $17-$34 billion in productivity losses as a result of their employees’ family caregiving responsibilities. Annual costs are associated with replacing employees, absenteeism, workday interruptions, and shifts from full- to part-time work.
Read the study at: https://www.metlife.com/assets/cao/mmi/publications/studies/mmi-caregiver-cost-study-productivity.pdf
Valuing the Invaluable: A New Look a the Economic Value of Family Caregiving, 2007
AARP’s Public Policy Institute makes the business case for recognizing and responding to the concerns of family caregivers, highlighting the magnitude of their unpaid contributions to the nation’s long term care system and the US economy. They urge employers to implement “family-friendly” workplace policies that include flextime and telecommuting, referral to supportive services, and caregiver support programs in the workplace. Their bottom line: Adequate funding for family caregiver support will provide an excellent return on investment.
Read the overview or link to the PDF: http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/il/ib82_caregiving.pdf
Valuing the Invaluable: The Economic Value of Family Caregiving, 2008 update
AARP’s Public Policy Institute updates its initial report on the economic value of unreimbursed health and long-term care provided by family caregivers in the US. The estimated economic value of their unpaid contributions is approximately $375 billion for 2007, up from an estimated $350 billion in 2006. It also describes how these caregivers improve the quality of care, while reducing the use of costly nursing home and hospital-based care. Read the overview or link to the PDF:
http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/il/i13_caregiving.pdf
Caregiving in the US 2009
Conducted by the National Alliance for Caregiving, in conjunction with AARP and The MetLife Mature Market Institute®, interviews with 1,480 family caregivers present a clear picture of caregiving today: prevalence, key demographics, the caregiving situation, as well as the challenges, needs and impact of caregiving on work, home and health of caregivers.
For a brief overview:
http://www.caregiving.org/pdf/research/CaregivinginUS09Release12309.pdf
For a more extensive executive summary:
http://www.caregiving.org/data/CaregivingUSAllAgesExecSum.pdf
The MetLife Study of Working Caregivers and Employer Health Care Costs
In February, 2010, The MetLife Mature Market Institute® with the National Alliance for Caregiving, in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Aging demonstrate that employees responsible for eldercare report more health problems than non-caregiving employees and cost U.S. employers an estimated $13 billion annually. Demographic trends indicate these costs will rise. Caregiving, employer health costs and employer-sponsored wellness benefits do intersect; the study urges employers to actively address the concerns of those with eldercare responsibilities. For a brief overview:
http://www.caregiving.org/data/caregiver_costs_press_release.pdf
To read the complete study:
Information on Professional Caregivers
Wisdom at Work: The Importance of the Older and Experienced Nurses in the Workplace.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation describes the critical importance of nurse retention as the US population and the nursing workforce are simultansously aging. Health care organizations can keep more veteran nurses at patient bedsides by implementing a variety of employee-retention strategies outlined in this white paper.
Find this June 2006 report at:
http://www.rwjf.org/files/publications/other/wisdomatwork.pdf
Caring for America’s aging population: a profile of the direct-care workforce
Co-authors Kristin Smith and Reagan Baughman provide an economic and demographic profile of America’s low-wage, high-turnover direct-care workforce. As families, healthcare organizations and society seek to meet the growing demand for long-term care by our aging population, these workers will become increasingly important. Direct-care workers are the fastest growing occupation in the country and will soon surpass registered nurses as the largest group of health care providers.
Find this September 2007 article at:
http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2007/09/art3full.pdf
Older Direct-Care Workers: Key Facts and Trends
Direct-care workers, 90% of whom are female, provide between 70-80% of all paid, hands-on long-term care for chronically ill, disabled and elderly Americans. This US direct-care workforce is aging along with the nursing workforce and the overall population.
For April 2010 data:
http://www.directcareclearinghouse.org/download/PHI%20Older%20DCW%20Analysis%20April%202010.pdf