If I Could Save Time in a Bottle: Caring for an Aging Parent
Many of us wear multiple hats. We’re not just employees. We’re mothers & fathers, friends, co-workers, teachers, volunteers, work-out fiends, avid readers, aunts & uncles, grandparents, coaches, students. We’re sons & daughters. As our parents are getting older, they are relying on us, their children, to step up into a caregiver role. Know that we have resources available to help you on this journey.
Elder care: Bright Horizons is traditionally thought of for their childcare efforts, however they have an extremely robust service for Elder Care. Your parent doesn’t even need to live in your household to qualify for the extra care in their home. The program offers up to 20 days per calendar year. They also offer a program called Years Ahead, by which a qualified professional will meet with you and help make a plan for what resources you may need for mom or dad in the near future.
Wellthy: This program – new to News Corp in 2019 pairs online and app based tools with a care coordinator to help source care resources, coordinate schedules, and keep everyone involved in a person’s care up to speed.
Health Advocate: Coordinating with Medicare can be confusing and a challenge. Health Advocate can help if mom or dad had a medical bill to pay that you’re unsure of. They can help find Medicare providers, they can help you prepare questions for you to bring to mom or dad’s doctor so you understand more about their chronic conditions. They can also help find transportation in local communities to take mom or dad to doctor appointments. Think of them as the gift of time.
Resources for Living: As a caregiver, you might need someone to lean on. Resources for Living offers you 10 free face to face visits and unlimited telephonic assistance, and provide you with good reading material to help you through a rough time.
MetLaw: Also new for 2019 – our MetLaw group legal benefit covers legal services for parents. Including will preparation, living wills, etc. If you are not enrolled already, you need to wait until the annual enrollment period to enroll in this resource. However keep it in mind the next time the enrollment option is offered.
FMLA: You may need to take time away from work in order to help care for mom or dad. If you’ve been with the Company for at least a year and have worked 1,250 hours, you may qualify for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave called the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Contact Met Life, our absence provider, with questions or to open a leave. And leave doesn’t need to be taken consecutively, if mom or dad has ongoing treatment that you need to be at it can be taken intermittently.