The Caregiver Connection Open House, the first at Emory for employees who serve as caregivers for adults, will be Friday, Nov. 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Room 1.432 of the 1599 Clifton Road Building.
Hosted by the Emory Caregiver Support Program, the event will have representatives from all of Emory’s caregiver-focused benefits in one location.
Everyone is invited to stop by to gather information and ask questions about services and benefits that can help an adult family member needing care locally or anywhere in the United States.
Representatives from Emory’s caregiver benefits will discuss their services, help people register if needed and answer questions, says Mary Ellen Nessmith, work-life specialist for the Emory Caregiver Support Program, a part of Emory’s WorkLife Resource Center.
“We are having the open house to give employees a chance to learn more about what caregiver-focused benefits are available to them and what resources and services are on Emory campus,” she explains.
Service providers in attendance will include LifeCare/Senior Care Management, e4Health (formerly BrownRichards), Bright Horizons, Emory’s Faculty Staff Assistance Program, Care Consultation, Budd Terrace, and the Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Center, among others.
Emory representatives will also be on hand to answer questions about benefits and related topics such as the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Nessmith says employees have benefited from FMLA and representatives will discuss what it means and how to use it.
Nessmith notes that the Work-Life Resource Center has been adding more resources in this area.
“Caregiving continues to be a huge issue and have a huge impact everywhere. Emory is no different,” she says, citing studies that show high emotional and financial costs for caregivers, including stress that can cause employees to leave their jobs earlier than they would like or need to do.
“The financial effects can be devastating for the working caregiver. Many incur caregiving costs they hadn’t planned on. This can lead to the employee caregiver not properly preparing for their retirement,” she says.
The Emory Caregiver Support Program can help guide employees and make sure they are utilizing all resources and services available to them.
“Many of services are nationwide. I think employees don’t always realize that," Nessmith says. "You can access emergency back-up care anywhere nationwide. You can utilize a professional care manager anywhere in the country. We also have a vendor that can research any services in the country and provide that info."
Registration is encouraged, but not required, for the open house. Healthy snacks will be provided.
“Stop by for as long or as short of time as you want,” says Nessmith, who is facilitating the event. “Come and speak to each vendor or talk to the representatives that you feel may be helpful to you. However, I would encourage everyone to talk to all the vendors and learn and understand what is available for employees so they will be able to take advantage of these services and benefits.”