We live in a society where the median age of the population is shifting upward. Seniors are staying independent–often in the workforce–until well into their sixties. Seniors who require some help either receive in-home care of life in a community that caters to the wide range of abilities found in the older population. Seniors with extensive medical problems or who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or Dementia often take permanent residence in a care facility that can tend to all of their medical and psychological needs.

Still, many seniors with medical problems can and do live at home, although they require full-time assistance to live a normal life. If you are one of those adults who cares for a senior relative in addition to your own family, you’re more than familiar with missing work occasionally because your regular care provider canceled or you simply can no longer afford to hire someone to take over care of your loved ones while you’re at work.

The Added Necessity of Benefits

We live in a society where the median age of the population is shifting upward. Seniors are staying independent–often in the workforce–until well into their sixties. Seniors who require some help either receive in-home care of life in a community that caters to the wide range of abilities found in the older population. Seniors with extensive medical problems or who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or Dementia often take permanent residence in a care facility that can tend to all of their medical and psychological needs.

Still, many seniors with medical problems can and do live at home, although they require full-time assistance to live a normal life. If you are one of those adults who cares for a senior relative in addition to your own family, you’re more than familiar with missing work occasionally because your regular care provider canceled or you simply can no longer afford to hire someone to take over care of your loved ones while you’re at work.

The Impetus of the Family Care Benefit

The family care benefit is Starbucks’ way of letting its employees know that they value their employees as people who have an important life outside of work. The plan allows for workers to use up to ten days of a company-funded child or adult care as needed. This is in addition to sick leave, stock grants, and extra bonuses for store managers. This extension of benefits makes Starbucks a more attractive company to many, particularly those who would likely call off work otherwise to take care of their loved ones.

How important is it to employees to have an option for child care? Over the years, we’ve seen an increasing number of companies placing more emphasis on providing their workers with practical benefits. It isn’t unusual to find a company offering on-site childcare or access to an affiliate childcare service. However, adding senior care to the mix is a relatively new idea that just might be finding its time. There are more adults caring for their aging parents now than ever before. With Medicare and Medicaid investing more on in-home senior care now, fewer families find the need to rely on a residential nursing home or care facility and instead choose to bring caregivers into the family home to care for loved ones. Providing the means for employees to pay for this service can only improve an employee’s attitude and loyalty.

The Sandwich Generation (those who are simultaneously taking care of dependent children and senior parents) numbers in the millions in 2018–23% of Americans according to the Pew Research Center. This number is only going to rise. Predictably, employers who fail to offer backup childcare/ elder care access to their employees pay the price by sacrificing employee satisfaction and productivity. Which makes one wonder why this employee benefit is not provided by all major companies.