82 Percent of Employees Now Need Help of a PGCM, According to LifeCare Poll.

WESTPORT, Conn. -- Eighty-two percent of employees report that they have an older loved one who could benefit from the hands-on assistance of a Professional Geriatric Care Manager (PGCM) within the next year, according to a recent survey by LifeCare(R), Inc., one of the largest privately owned employee benefits organizations in the U.S. LifeCare conducted the survey online among the employees of its 1,000+ client companies nationwide.

"There's simply no mistaking that response," says James B. Weil, LifeCare's director of Successful Aging. "The majority of workers across the country are personally facing the need for broader and deeper support when it comes to caring for their older loved ones." The resounding proof, notes Weil, comes from the "Caregiving in the U.S." report, released earlier this year by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. The report shows that one out of every six Americans--nearly 40 million--provides unpaid family care to someone age 50 or older. These family caregivers are dealing with their loved one's "aging" issues, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer's (in that order).

"Family caregiving puts a tremendous strain on employees--physically and emotionally," says Weil. "Their caregiving responsibilities can all too easily overwhelm them and affect their performance at work." (See "The Impact of Elder Care" below.) According to Weil, a valuable first step toward giving these employees the help they need is to provide them with work/life programs, flexible work arrangements and access to support groups or counseling assistance. In many cases, however, an elder person's needs are quite complex or require more attention than a family member can give. "In these cases, Geriatric Care Management programs are an ideal solution," says Weil.

A high-quality, comprehensive GCM program arranges for a qualified professional geriatric care manager to actually visit with elders (and family members), assess their health and ongoing needs firsthand, and then create customized care plans. In addition to these face-to-face assessments, such a program also arranges for care facility reviews, post-hospitalization assessments, ongoing care coordination, and it provides counseling and education services for family members/ caregivers.

"The bottom line," states Weil, "is that GCM programs benefit everyone involved: elders receive better care, caregivers make more informed decisions and worry less about their loved ones, and employers get more focused and productive workers."

The Backbone of the Nation's Caregiving Network

Professional Geriatric Care Managers are usually trained in nursing or social work (or related disciplines) and their qualifications include instruction in geriatrics and gerontology. Unlike many other professionals, who focus their attention in a specific discipline, PGCMs are holistic in their approach. According to Weil, they're trained to treat the patient, not the illness. Their focus is not on the health condition alone but on the individual's financial, spiritual, and emotional needs as well. PGCMs also support the needs of the family.

"Elder care support is not a one-size-fits-all benefit. Each employee's situation and the needs of her or his loved one are unique. And the best way to serve those needs is through sound work/life programs supplemented by high-quality GCM programs," says Weil.

LifeCare's GCM Program, for example, gives client employees exclusive access to the Guild, a preeminent organization of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers, whose members must meet strict educational and experience requirements, abide by a Pledge of Ethics, adhere to Standards of Practice, and maintain minimum insurance requirements. The Association's strict quality criteria are unique in the industry, which is still largely unregulated. Through this partnership with the Guild, LifeCare's GCM program offers client employees a unique combination of education consultation and referral 24-7, through the phone, internet, print and face-to-face interactions.

The Impact of Elder Care

-- 67 percent of employees providing elder care reported taking time off during the workday for caregiving

-- 64 percent used sick days or vacation time

-- 22 percent took a leave of absence

-- 20 percent reduced their career from full-time to part-time

-- 16 percent quit their jobs entirely

Source: National Center on Women and Aging

Note to Editors

--James Weil is available for interview.

--LifeCare(R), Inc. is one of the largest privately owned employee benefits organizations in the U.S. and the exclusive provider of Life Event Management(R) Services. With over 20 years of experience in delivering highly personalized counseling, education and referral services, LifeCare helps employees manage the day-to-day challenges of their lives. In turn, LifeCare helps employers improve employee commitment, recruitment, retention and workplace productivity. LifeCare currently serves nearly 1,500 client companies with more than 4.5 million individuals within health plans, governmental agencies, unions and corporations--nearly 10 million covered lives. For more information, visit www.lifecare.com.