In the UK alone, roughly 700,000 people carry out 1.3 billion hours’ worth of unpaid care for family members with dementia a year, according to estimates from the Alzheimer’s Society.
This may (or often!) involve providing financial, emotional, and physical support – a heavy burden when coupled with childcare and work.
But the care crisis doesn’t just impact carers; according to research cited by HR News, ‘employers are also facing a crisis, with increased absenteeism at work’, as a by-product of caring pressures on employees, growing noticeably within their organisations. And the future doesn’t look better.
According to Carers UK: “Four in five employers believe that caring and the ageing population will become an increasingly bigger issue for their organisation and their staff.
Nearly 9 out of 10 of this group thought this will add more pressure on their staff and over 8 out of 10 that it may lead to loss of valuable employees if staff give up work to care, their research found.
All this suggests that the care crisis is likely to have an increasingly detrimental impact on businesses in terms of job performance, staff wellbeing and retention.
So looking after employee wellbeing makes perfect business sense. But how do we do it?
There are practical steps that can be taken on both sides to support employees and help protect businesses from feeling the squeeze.
Firstly, encourage open dialogue. Promote frequent talks with employees to check on their wellbeing and state of mind, in addition to giving them a safe space to discuss the things that may be impacting their mental health.
Secondly, staff training. From management to senior members of staff, offer training to boost supportive and empathetic behaviour when responding to concerns.
Thirdly, flexibility. Reduce the burden on affected employees by putting in place flexible working hours that work well around their care commitments at home.
Fourthly, we need better communication between workplaces, Employers need to streamline and improve support by communicating with other workplaces and management on best practice for encouraging employee wellbeing.
For more support when caring for your loved one, Memory Lane Games’ free app can help ignite positive memories for those living with Dementia and Alzheimer’s.
