As more and more people find themselves caring for aging loved ones or family members with disabilities, the need for legal and financial planning assistance is becoming increasingly important. That’s why CareWise Solutions and LegalShield have come together to make it easier for families to cope. Together, these two companies are partnering to bring a comprehensive life, career, and care planning benefit to employers and their employees.
With the current instability in the workforce, employers seek practical solutions. Since so many employees have care responsibilities, supporting employees exhausted by caregiving is a natural choice.
Employers have stepped forward to take responsibility for helping employees balance the conflicts between care and their job by offering home-based solutions such as flexible scheduling, PTO, and leaves of absence. This approach supports employees in caring for their aging parents in the home. It does not help employers excel at their primary corporate responsibility job to attract, develop, and retain a high-performing team.
LegalShield
Founded in 1972, LegalShield is the first company to offer affordable legal and identity theft solutions to individuals, families, and small businesses. LegalShield’s services are provided by a network of provider law firms across the United States and Canada, and they aim to make legal assistance accessible and affordable for everyone.
One of the biggest challenges caregivers face is navigating the legal and financial aspects while caring for a loved one. LegalShield’s services can help with a wide range of legal issues that caregivers may encounter, including estate planning, wills, power of attorney, and healthcare directives. LegalShield also gives open access to legal advice & consultation, important document review, and provides consultation on a variety of topics, such as elder law, long-term care, and government benefits.
In addition to legal services, LegalShield also provides identity theft protection and monitoring. This can be particularly important for caregivers who are often handling sensitive financial and personal information on behalf of their loved ones.
The Caregiver Crisis
The caregiver crisis revolves around the quality of life and care, planning for life cycles, and the healthcare system. Family caregivers step forward to provide unskilled care for loved ones before the healthcare system accepts full responsibility for them as “patients.”
Most employees with aging parents or family members with disabilities want to work. 72% hold down a paying job while providing care for an aging or ill loved one.
“These family members typically take on their volunteer caregiving role without a choice, adequate resources or skills to fulfill expectations – all while trying to maintain their own quality of life and work,” explains Jeannette Galvanek, Founder of CareWise Solutions.
In 2021, the economic value of family caregiver unpaid contributions was estimated at about $600 billion. This calculation is based on the estimated 38 million caregivers who provide an average of 18 hours of weekly care, totaling 36 billion hours, at an average of $16.59/hour.
This is of particular concern for people of color and lower-wage workers’ communities where the care support system is even worse. Studies show that caregivers of all ethnic minorities provide more care than White caregivers and report worse physical health (McCann et al., 2000).
Planning for the Future
Individuals and corporations know how to plan for everything—education and career decisions, major purchases, where to live, how to market a product and more. Baby Boomers are aging. This is not a negotiable topic. Upgraded workforce, career, and care management systems in organizations are mandatory.
“Yet, families don’t always agree on what’s best for parents as they age. Discussing care options and wishes is essential to ensure everyone is on the same page in case decisions need to be made on an aging parent’s behalf,” says Galvanek.
CareWise Solutions and LegalShield are making it easier, confidential, and cost-effective for employers and employees to reduce the care crises in the workplace and increase confidence that family matters are responsibly handled.
Benefit Plans
Modern employers implement benefit plans for everything from 401(k) programs to pet insurance. Each workforce has unique needs, so employers deploy various benefits packages, hoping to attract and retain the best talent.
And while each workplace is unique in many ways, the fact that employees are caregivers crosses every state line and every zip code.
A shared commitment to a business’s workforce plans that consider the impact of this demographic shift, coupled with educated employees who use professional resources for family life plans and connecting employees’ family care and career commitments, makes sense. Being equipped with a career plan makes sense.
“LegalShield is the newest partner on the CareWise Solutions online dashboard, the Caring Place HUB, where employee caregivers access over 100 resources. We are so pleased to offer this legal advice and protection service,” explains Galvanek.
CareWise Solutions and LegalShield are coming together to help employers offer their employees a comprehensive benefit, including legal services and employee-caregiving assistance. CareWise Solutions provides a wide range of individual; and organizational resources, including online tools, educational resources, and personalized support from care coordinators. This can be particularly helpful for those who may feel overwhelmed by juggling a career with caregiving.
Together, CareWise Solutions and LegalShield provide a one-stop-shop for employees who are caring for the elderly or family members with disabilities. With legal protection and employee-caregiving assistance all in one place, employees can feel confident that they are getting the support they need to care for their loved ones while also managing their own careers and personal lives.
Corporate policies that send families home to care are essential. Still, most caregivers provide family care for four or more years. All employees are currently or will be impacted by the demands of aging care.
What can employers do today?
Corporate ideology or beliefs about families and work are significant obstacles to stopping dual employment.
- CareWise Solutions recommends institutionalizing a business culture integrating workforce, care, and career planning, clarifying and publicizing Corporate Wellness, Work, and Care Values.
- Prioritize subscriptions to LegalShield services.
- Build Career and Care Management Skills
- Educate all team members.
- Subscribe to the Caring Place Hub and check the Learning Center for individual caregiver and organizational resources.
Learn To Work and Care More Naturally
A viable business requires a healthy, motivated workforce available to perform with minimal unplanned disruptions.
Working caregivers deserve career opportunities while being there for the family. All team members want to feel part of the business mission.
Keep Your Focus on The Root Cause
Who is responsible for providing care at home for another 70 million aging baby boomers?
CareWise Solutions reach across traditional vertical boundaries shaping a new employment and care environment. This is where organizations find invaluable insights, training, coaching, and consulting services to manage care expectations for improved care, career, and team success.
For more information about LegalShield, click on this link to set up a 30-min session and learn what LegalShield can do for you.
Reach out now. Request a 30-minute goal-setting call with Jeannette Galvanek of CareWise Solutions.
CareWise Solutions are socially responsible and contribute 10% of sales to Carewise Solutions, Educational Charity-a 501 (c) (3) Delaware corporation.
