EXCLUSIVE: Almost three-quarters (72%) of people are interested in receiving eldercare as an employee benefit, according to research by Allianz Global Assistance.
Its study of 200 UK adults also found that 27% said balancing work and home life is their biggest concern when caring for elderly relatives.
The research also found:
- More than three-quarters (76%) are concerned about caring for elderly relatives, which is an increase of 24% compared to 2014, when 52% of respondents were anxious about the ageing population.
- 68% of respondents have not discussed or planned what they would do if a family member needed care after illness or an accident.
- The proportion of respondents who would turn to a family member to get more information on caring for a relative, has fallen from 13% in 2014 to 5% in 2015, but 49% would now turn to their general practitioner (GP) for advice.
- There has been an increase in the number of people who would turn to the internet for help with eldercare, with 28% snow aying they would use this resource in 2014, up from 17% in 2014.
Sarah Ducker, health development specialist at Allianz Global Assistance UK, said: “Perhaps the most interesting finding from our research is the fact that more people are interested in receiving help from their employer when it comes to elderly care.
“Some 72% of respondents said they would be interested in an employee benefit package including elderly care, which is up from 48% of people who said the same in 2014. This could indicate that society is seeing a shift of perception in terms of where people will look for support, moving to the security and stability of an employer as well as the family network.
“There is a need for the gap in social care to be filled by a robust network of care management solutions. Unfortunately, our research has revealed that people fail to accept they need to plan ahead for care, until it may be too late.
“By providing care cover, employers can also play a key role in helping their staff cope with this growing concern.”
Thanks for sharing Sarah.
We are seeing eldercare becoming more talked about and valued than childcare as the ageing workplace demographics begin to shift. Some forward thinking employers are making great strides to address this employee engagement opportunity.