What is Elder Care?

Elder care involves being responsible for the well-being of an older or disabled parent, spouse or relative. The elderly dependent may live with the caregiver or live separately, even quite far away. Caring for an elderly dependent includes help with many of the following:

  • Personal needs – washing, dressing, eating
  • Financial needs – paying bills, bank deposits
  • Household needs – shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry
  • Transportation needs – rides to and from the doctor and/or hospital

The number of working adults providing care for an elderly or disabled parent or relative grows every year. With community resources both scarce and expensive, those providing care are often left fully responsible for providing assistance and care before and after work, on weekends and during vacation. There are many workers providing more than eight hours of care each week as well as holding down a full-time job. Some struggle to balance work and caregiving, which can result in:

  • Using vacation and sick time for caregiving
  • Arriving late to work and/or leaving early
  • Taking a leave of absence
© 2007 Labor Project for Working Families