Contributed

According to a recent Met Life study, a greater number of employees of all ages will assume the role of caregiver with an increasing older adult population.

The negative impact this role can have on an employee demonstrates a clear need for employers to take an active role in offering a care management benefit that can help employees navigate elder care issues, resulting in less absenteeism from work and increased overall health and productivity.

AOS Care Management, a full-service geriatric care firm with offices in Southern Pines and Cary, has such a benefit plan now available to employers in the area looking to decrease their employees' burdens.

This elder care Employee Assistance Program (EAP) allows area businesses to offer care management services with trained and certified geriatric care managers, who can help navigate elder care issues through consultation, links to resources and care plan development that benefit all involved: the elder, the employee and the employer, according to a news release.

"AOS has offered outstanding care management services for over 10 years, and we are excited to launch a program that allows us to expand these much needed services to employers and employees," says Amy Natt, owner and CEO of AOS Care Management. >

In fact, a majority of working caregivers report experiencing a conflict between work and caregiving demands, and 35 percent believed that being a caregiver adversely affected their work. The Met Life report estimates a cost to U.S. businesses from lost productivity of working caregivers is more than $13.4 billion per year.

"Many employees are dealing with elder care issues, balanced with child care issues, while others are preparing for retirement," Nattt says. "We can help navigate all of these issues, provide links to much needed resources and develop a solid plan to deal with immediate and future needs of the employee and their family members."

The EAP program offered by AOS Care Management provides a company's employees an elder care solution through consultation and 50 years of combined experience of the geriatric care management team on staff, the news release said. Free educational on-site training seminars are also available to the employer and their employees on the benefits of geriatric care management.

As a member of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers, AOS Care Management can provide access to nationwide resources providing the ability to help employees navigate both local and long distance caregiving.

Direct services to the employee include comprehensive assessment, care plan development, evaluation and review of resources, coordination of services, coordination of in-home care, medical appointment management, placement assistance and referrals to community resources.

In addition to helping employees with elder family members, this EAP program can also initiate a plan of care for those employees nearing retirement age enabling them to tailor a plan specifically designed around their individual needs and budget, AOS said.

"Our program offers employers a valuable employee benefit that will allow employees to effectively manage elder care and caregiving issues, spend less time away from work and be more productive overall," Natt says.

The AOS Care Management team of geriatric care managers includes Natt, Donna Brock, Wayne Davies, Jennifer Tyner and Jennifer George.

Anyone needing more information on the elder care EAP Program can contact AOS Care Management at (910) 692-0683, (855) 590-7673, info@aoscaremanagement.com or www.aoscaremanagement.com.

AOS Care Management offer its services in south central North Carolina, including Cumberland, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond, Scotland and Wake counties.