Working Caregivers and Employer Health Care Costs

In many countries, family caregivers bear the brunt of the responsibility for tending to the needs of their elderly relatives.  The cost to the family caregiver is substantial, not only in financial terms but in terms of the health of the caregiver.  And the cost to employers because of absenteeism, workplace disruptions and reduced work status is estimated to be between US$17.1 and US$33.5 billion per year in the USA.

MetLife Mature Market Institute and the National Alliance for Caregiving recently released their latest study, Working Caregivers and Employer Health Care Costs, focusing on how caregiving, employer health costs and employer-sponsored wellness benefits intersect.

The findings of the study indicate that health care costs for family caregivers is about 8% higher than that of non-caregiving employees, potentially costing US employers an extra US$13.4 billion per year.

Dementia 2010 Report

The UK Alzheimer’s Research Trust has recently released a new study on the economic cost of dementia to the UK and the country’s investment in research to find new treatments, preventions and cures.

Entitled Dementia 2010 the report findings show that dementia’s impact is worse than feared and costs Britain £23bn a year – more than cancer and heart disease combined – but receives a fraction of the funding.

“The true impact of dementia has been ignored for too long,” said Rebecca Wood, the Alzheimer’s Research Trust chief executive. “The UK’s dementia crisis is worse than we feared. This report shows that dementia is the greatest medical challenge of the 21st century.

Support for Philippine Elderly

Until recently, the Philippines was the only country in Asia without a social pension for poor, older people.   That is all changing, thanks to the efforts of the Coalition of Services of the Elderly [COSE].

COSE is an IAHSA member, winning an Citation of Honor as part of IAHSA’s 2009 Excellence in Ageing Services Award for their hard work on behalf of the poor elderly.

According to a recent article in Asia News Network, COSE has been instrumental in making this important policy a reality.  Now all are awaiting the official signature of President Gloria Arroyo.  Congratulations to COSE and all of the elderly advocates in the Philippines for this significant victory.

A Vision for Housing for the Elderly

The National Housing Federation in the UK recently published In Your Lifetime, their vision for housing, care and support of current and future generations of older people.

The document is a call to action for the local, regional and federal governments to focus on a thoughtful and effective process for developing programs that provide a range of housing options that enhance the ability of elderly to live independently for as long as possible.

Pension Battle in Spain

A battle is unfolding in Spain about raising the retirement age from 65 to 67.   As reported in EuroNews, Spain, like many other developed countries, is facing challenges associated with the rise of its elderly population, lack of younger workers and budget deficit caused by increase in number of pensioners.

Sound familiar?  If you search our blog on the word ‘pensions’, you’ll find links to articles describing the ways in which other countries are dealing with their own financial crisis, including an increase in the retirement age.

Home Hospital: A Community Program in Australia

Silver Chain, an IAHSA member in Perth, Australia, has long been focused on development of community care programs and has helped Western Australians maintain their independence and community links for over 105 years.

And they have been a leader in adopting technologies to help them achieve their mission.   A recent article in Australian Ageing Agenda describes how Silver Chain is taking their programs to a new level, integrating technology and leading-edge practice to create an inspiring community care approach.   Their new program, Home Hospital, reduces the number of hospital presentations, particularly from so-called ‘frequent flyers’, and moves the health focus towards community cycles of care.

Join IAHSA & HelpAge Int’l to Help Older Adults in Haiti

The people of Haiti are still in dire need of help and will be for the foreseeable future. If you haven’t given already, please consider donating to HelpAge International (HAI).

IAHSA and HAI are global collaborative partners dedicated to helping elders in the developing world. HAI is the only relief and development organization focused on the needs of older persons in developing countries and has had a presence in Haiti for 8 years. They are working through local partners to support local people, use local resources to build long term capacity and reduce dependency.

HAI is uniquely situated to meet the needs of Haitian older people on the ground, right now. That is why IAHSA is joining forces with HAI. Their efforts will address the specific needs of older people – food, water, medicine and mobility aides, emotional support and shelter.

HelpAge partners with several nonprofits on the ground in Haiti to help older adults. Their partners help Haitians receive all sorts of resources, from water to healthcare. Find out more about HAI’s partners in Haiti. You can also follow what HelpAge International is doing on the ground in Haiti, on their blog.

Please consider donating money for Haitian disaster relief to HAI. Funds are needed now to meet the needs of older adults in Haiti.

If you are outside of the US, click here to contribute.
If you are inside of the US, click here to contribute.

Whether you give to your local church efforts, HelpAge International or other aid organizations, please consider helping in some capacity.

This is only the beginning. We must do what we can to help the people who have been devastated by this earthquake today, so that we may help build better ageing services for them tomorrow.

How Japan Can Solve Its Ageing Problem

Here’s an interesting take by one individual reporting in The Japan Times on how the country can solve its ageing problem. Key elements include:  pension reform, a grandchild movement, downloadable immigrants, and a fountain of youth. We welcome your thoughts on these ideas.

More on Ageing in India

As we shared earlier, the elders in India are confronted with isolation and loneliness, partly a result of the fragmentation of the family social network.    Click here for more about the social impact of the collapse of the nuclear family and its effect on the elderly.

Ageing Tops Australian Issue Agenda

During a major address last week, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd spoke about the challenges of an ageing population to the Australian way of life and warned that the nation would have to boost workforce participation and productivity to secure economic growth as the nation ages.

As quoted in Australian Ageing Agenda, Mr Rudd said that “Unless we make big changes, we will either generate large, unsustainable budget deficits ..or need to reduce government services – including health services – as the needs of an ageing population become greater”.

Attention to the issue at this level of government is a welcome sign for IAHSA Australian chapters ACSA and ACAA.    Their job now is to make sure there is some action associated with the words.