SOAR TO SUCCESS / Feature Article As ‘Baby Boomers’ reach their senior years and require more medical attention, the pressure on the elder-care industry in this country is reaching a critical impasse and rapidly approaching the ‘Elder Care Cliff.’ Stella Nsong, facilitator of the 100-nurse millionaire movement has created a program to improve the elder-care experience, and to lessen the financial impact on corporations whose work force is struggling to keep jobs while dealing with the challenges that face the elderly. Today, if Stella Nsong was to reproduce the “Silent Scream” public service campaign (AARP designed the silent scream campaign to raise awareness of the emotional toll of caregiving) it would go like this; it would show an employee who is a family caregiver turning off a loud alarm clock at 6am then hurriedly getting kids ready for school and then rushing to check on the mother inlaw who is suffering from dementia and the effects of a stroke and then getting on the phone highly stressed while driving and wondering how to keep the mother in law safe because the caregiver did not show up. After five phone calls, no one to provide the care and arriving to work late, there would be multiple interruptions trying to care over the phone while trying to do her job. According to the AARP public policy institute, 64% of caregiving employees arrive late/leave early, 68% experience at least one change in employment due to caring for a senior, 10% give up work entirely and 7% receive warnings about performance, while many are clinically depressed and go undiagnosed and untreated. Lou Basinal, a Registered Nurse and Senior Care Specialist in Sacramento, and owner of Age In Place Sacramento is working to solve the elder care crisis in Northern California. Lou also serves as the Area Director of the Northern California Care Planning Council. “I am part of the elder-care nursing program in California. We are working to prepare individuals to better handle senior citizens within their own families and advocate for the elder care system as it nears the ‘Elder Care Cliff.’ When a parent, or loved one needs care, it places a tremendous burden on the families. Yet, jobs are important, and we all have to work. Entrepreneurs must attend to their businesses to maintain their incomes. Employees of corporations try to juggle both family care giving, their jobs and their careers. Children’s ball games and school activities still need a parent to be in the stands. All the while, the caregiver needs to assure their aging mother, or father receive the right care. “Part of our advocacy is for family members, or children. It’s more difficult for them to play the dual roles of caregiver and family member. Difficulties arise when children try to do both.” “We see these professionals juggling their work requirements with caregiving. The same is true for middle management and employees of larger corporations which results in absenteeism, lower productivity and unacceptable performance, that
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