State Issues Survey to Learn More About Working Caregivers

On June 30^th, the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA), the New York State Department of Labor (DOL), and the New York State Department of Health (DOH) announced the launch of a public-private partnership to survey businesses and their employees to better understand and support working caregivers. The State is encouraging employers to ask employees to complete the survey. This will help identify the number of employees who are caregiving for a loved one and to assess working caregiver intensity and connect them to supports and information.

The State is seeking to understand the daily tasks that working caregivers are performing and how those tasks impact their work and health. Survey results will be shared with business leaders and their human resource departments, policymakers, and operators of caregiver programs. The goal is to raise awareness about working caregivers, the services available, and help them connect to these supports while measuring their caregiving experience. In addition, it is envisioned that this will also help caregivers navigate potential challenges they face in balancing their work and family lives.

A "caregiver" is defined as a family, friend, or neighbor who helps an individual with their daily living. There are an estimated 4.1 million caregivers in New York State who provide 2.68 billion hours of unpaid care. If paid for at market rate, the cost of that care would be $32 billion annually.

In the U.S. today, one in six employees spends, on average, more than 20 hours a week providing care for a loved one. Caregiving costs U.S. businesses an estimated $50 billion a year in lost productivity.

A June 2021 study conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that:

70 percent of parents and/or caregivers reported adverse mental health symptoms;
55 percent reported anxiety or depression;
54 percent reported COVID-19-induced stress and trauma; and
32 percent reported passive or serious suicidal thoughts.

As assessed by the ARCHANGELS Caregiver Intensity Index, drivers of caregiver intensity increased odds of adverse mental health symptoms.

LeadingAge NY will keep members informed of this study and any initiatives associated with it.

Contact: Meg Everett, meverett@leadingageny.org, 518-929-9342