ELDER CARE – IS ON THE RISE
As the Federal workforce ages there is more and more of a focus on Elder Care. We are witnessing the first generation of children who are retiring and their parents are still alive. It is almost like two sets of senior citizens but at different times and of course with different needs. But what it really means is that as Federal employees retire they are saddled with the responsibility of taking care of their elderly parents and family members. Americans are living longer today because the nation as a whole is more in tune to addressing and managing their health. More and more Americans also have access to health care through employer-sponsored insurance, state-sponsored programs and the country’s effort to bring quality health care to all Americans.
It seems that there is always a catch-22. We live longer and then because we are living longer we generally experience health conditions that come as result of aging and then we need someone to take care of us when we cannot do for ourselves – Elder Care. The Federal Government has a number of workplace flexibilities in place intended to assist Federal workers in taking care of the new array of problems encountered by an aging society.
Policies on flexibilities put in place by the Federal Government allow workers time off to provide care to elderly parents and other family members. The Office of Personnel Management has provided a handbook to educate employees and provide assistance to those employees who are providing elder care to family members. Federal employees do a tremendous job in providing a vast array of services to the American public. In order to keep the workforce ready to uphold their public responsibilities, it is imperative that the Federal government lends its workers a helping hand when it comes to caring for the needs of their own families.
P. S. Always Remember to Share What You Know.
Dianna Tafazoli
