SimpliTend supports family caregivers
First Lady Rosalynn Carter's famous quote reminds us, “There are only four kinds of people in the world—those that have been caregivers, those that are caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers.”
We normally don't give much thought to caregiving because we are preoccupied with our careers or family/personal obligations. Our parents are getting older, and a minor incident such as a slip and fall could have a long-term impact on their lives and ours. If we are financially well off, we may hire a full-time caregiver to attend to our loved ones; however, in most households, this task falls on a family member to care for their parents. According to the US Bureau of Labor, about 59% of the caregivers are women and mostly daughters who are caring for their aging parents.
Most family caregivers lack prior training or preparation and must balance employment, family, personal duties, and caring for an aging loved one. As a result, caregivers may experience physical and emotional exhaustion, stress, anxiety, or guilt. Additionally, daily caregiving can put caregivers in financial straits; in fact, some caregivers may be compelled to quit their jobs due to the amount of care their loved one requires. Although the role of family caregivers is not new in our culture, businesses and governments have been slow to offer assistance to family caregivers who also hold full-time jobs.
The federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave during a 12-month period to care for a newborn, adopted, or foster child, or to care for a family member, or to attend to the employee’s own serious medical health condition. The law applies to private employers with 50 or more employees. The FMLA also allows states to set standards that are broader than the federal law, and some states have chosen to do so. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, some states have enacted or expanded family leave permanently. 11 states—California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington—and the District of Columbia currently offer paid family and medical leave. All state programs are funded through employee-paid payroll taxes, and some are also partially funded by employer-paid payroll taxes.
Although these programs are effective, more states must implement them in order to provide consistent caregiver support across the country. According to the US Bureau of Labor, 14% of the civilian noninstitutional population age 15 and up, or 37.1 million people, performed unpaid eldercare. Approximately 44% of unpaid caretakers (or 16.2 million) are between the ages of 25 and 54, which is considered prime for career advancement and saving for retirement. Businesses and states must recognize that caregiver support will help with employee retention as well as productivity. As the level of public awareness grows, people will choose states and employers that offer extended financial support and workplace security for family caregivers, such as paid leave, tax credits, and flexible work arrangements.
A little over one-fourth (28 percent) of eldercare providers engaged in unpaid eldercare on a given day, spending an average of 3.6 hours providing this care. These estimates are averages for the 2-year period of 2021–22. The US Bureau of Labor defines eldercare providers as individuals who provide unpaid care to someone aged 65 or older who needs help because of a condition related to aging. This care can be provided to household or non-household members, as well as people living in retirement homes or assisted care facilities. Eldercare can involve a range of care activities, such as assisting with grooming, preparing meals, and providing transportation. Flexible work hours can help with caregiver retention by providing them with more control, balance, and satisfaction in their work and personal lives. Management awareness of employee’s caregiver responsibilities can enhance caregiver’s work performance and productivity by letting them work at the optimal times and conditions.
As you can see, this is a sizable population in the United States with major obligations that were not, in most cases, anticipated. As a result, we require assistance from the federal government, states, and employers to support our caregivers.
SimpliTend is aware of the challenges caregivers encounter on a daily basis, and we make a concentrated effort to help them. Our company's mission is to raise awareness about caregiver issues and to develop tools and applications to ease the burden of caring for our caregivers. Our primary focus is on family caregivers who provide care for their loved ones while working full-time. Our mobile applications accomplish two goals at once: first, they give our seniors a sense of freedom by providing them a basic mobile interface to manage their contacts, activities, and medications, enabling them to go about their everyday lives as usual. The second task is to provide our caregivers peace of mind by keeping them updated on their loved ones' whereabouts and activities while they take care of their own children, jobs, or personal business. Every day, we uncover new ways to help our seniors and caregivers and work hard to incorporate those discoveries into our mobile apps.