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The Business Monthly, June 2002 Elder Care Is Growing Issue For Businesses: By Jacqueline Burrell There was a time when Ruth Cargo practically lived on the Washington Beltway as she jockeyed between Columbia and Arlington, Va. Her dad was undergoing an aortic heart procedure, and there were complications. "Things were dicey," she says. Between being there for him and her mom, working, and raising teenage children, she was stressed. "It was taking a terrible toll on me. I couldn't quite hold it all together," says Cargo, a long-time Columbia resident. She decided to quit work, home school one son and devote more time to her parents and family. But, even then, her parents seemed too far away. Today, Bill and Margo Cargo live at Vantage House in Columbia. For Ruth and her brother, David, the move has been a blessing. And their parents, both 85, love Columbia. Bill Cargo is a retired career Foreign Service Officer and was U.S. ambassador to Nepal. He and Margo lived all over the world. This is one of the few times in their lives that the entire family is living in one area, laughs Ruth, who was dean of students at the Traditional Acupuncture Institute (now the Tai Sophia Institute). She and David are part of a growing segment of the community that deserves more discussion, says Phyllis Madachy, director of the county's Office on Aging. So far, county employers have given little thought to workers as caregivers of their aging parents. But that could be changing. With the fastest growing senior population in Maryland, elder care issues in Howard County are coming to the forefront in every area of community life — including the workplace. Different Shades Of Gray In 1960, the county's senior population was less than 3,400 people. Forty years later that number had grown to 26,000 and is projected to rise to between 69,000 and 72,000 by 2020. "We’re graying," notes Madachy. And it’s not just current residents who are boosting Howard County’s senior population. Like Margo and Bill Cargo, many aging parents are moving here to be closer to their adult children. Some of the newcomers are frail and in need of medical care. But more and more stay active and busy into their 70s, 80s and 90s. According to a 1999 Howard County Commission on Aging report, only five percent of seniors over age 65 here have severe disabilities and only 15 percent are moderately disabled. Typically, seniors make two moves during the course of their retirement, says Madachy. The first is when those between age 55 and 70 retire, with some moving out of their homes. The second move occurs for seniors 75 years and older when health-related issues become more prominent or the death of a spouse occurs. It's during this second move that adult children become increasingly involved in their aging parents’ lives. And that requires adjustments on everyone’s part, including the adult child’s employer. “The reality,” Madachy says, “is that many employers don't see their employees as caregivers of aging parents." Changing Benefits Used mainly by workers to cover child care expenses tax-free, gross earnings can also be set aside for adult day care, Levitt says. It’s an option that costs the employer less money and can lower the worker's tax bracket. But there's a catch. Employees must be their parents’ legal guardians, a rare instance for today's active seniors. What employers are offering their workers is not geared to the aging parent, notes Ken McDonnell, research analyst with the Employees Benefit Research Institute in Washington, D.C. "It’s more in the form of here is what we can do for you, our employee," he says. In addition to such specific benefits as the Dependent Care Reimbursement Fund and flex scheduling, large companies are also offering their workers resource and referral services, says McDonnell. "Many employees, who find themselves in caregiving roles don't really know where to go," he says, so these services prove most helpful. There’s more help from supervisors who are trained to recognize the signs of stress and refer staffers to Employee Assistance Programs. Elizabeth Wexler has been an EAP provider for the past seven years. "We save the employee time, but more importantly, I think, we save the employee time on the wrong path," says Wexler, program coordinator for Maryland C.A.R.E.S., a nonsectarian program of Jewish Family Services. In the case of elder care, assessments are made to help caregivers clarify their needs and the needs of their aging parents. Workplace seminars provide information about all aspects of elder care. EAPs are a growing trend among employers, says Wexler. Companies are beginning to realize that by helping their workers deal with stress, they're also helping the bottom line. “It takes one-third of a yearly salary to train a replacement and that's a fact,” says Wexler, who is also manager of the new Caregivers Resource Center in Columbia. Help Close To Home Family and Children’s Services also provides home health aides who assist with bathing and personal care; plan, cook and store future meals; assist with feeding; provide reminders for medication; help with toileting; conduct range of motion exercises; escort clients to appointments; perform light housekeeping and take out trash and more. The home health aides are certified nursing assistants, have undergone criminal background checks and are bonded. “Elder care issues affect everyone, from the very poor to the affluent,” says the agency’s Elder Services director Sally Hedenstad. “Our goal is to make our services affordable for everyone.” Fees range from $8.50–$17 an hour. “But what makes our program unique is our team approach,” Hedenstad says. “The social worker, RN and home health aid all work together with the client and caregiver to assess the client and develop a care plan. I don’t think many other agencies have social workers on staff.” For information on Family and Children’s Services’ Elder Services Program, call 410-997-3557.
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