Elder Care
Available Services
- Our Employee Assistance Program can help with the stress of care giving, grief/loss, or thinking through the inevitable difficult conversations caregivers must have with aging parents or spouses.
- Health Advocate can help you find in-home care, adult day care, long-term care, and/or community based services. They can clarify Medicare and Medicare Supplemental plans, provide assistance in understanding claims and conditions, coordinate care among multiple providers, arrange transportation to appointments and otherwise guide you in navigating the health care system. This benefit is available to W&L employees, their parents, and in-laws.
- W&L also subsidizes 60% of costs incurred for last-minute backup senior/elder care expenses ($200 yearly maximum).
On & Off Campus Programming
- Annual Wellness Fair: The Wellness Fair, held in the fall, brings local vendors to campus to offer information and resources.
- Eldercare-related webinars are offered as part of Live Well W&L, the employees wellness program.
Family Friendly Practices
- CTO: Allows up to 30 days per year for employees to use in whatever way is necessary for them.
- FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act): Provides extended time off on an intermittent or ongoing basis as needed for care giving duties
- Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA): Provides tax relief for care expenses for dependents
- Back-up Care Subsidy: The University subsidizes 60% of last-minute or emergency elder care in order for you to attend to work responsibilities.
Online Resources
- A Place for Mom: Nation's largest elder care referral service
- Alzheimer's Association: Caregivers support group and other resources
- Caregiverstress.com: self-care resources for caregivers
- Five Wishes: Living Will/Power of Attorney Template
- Home Instead - Elderly home care and non-medical home health care
- Maury River Senior Center: local senior center associated with the Valley Program for Aging Services; offers meals, transportation, classes, recreation, insurance counseling, etc
- Mesothelioma.com: Information on symptoms, causes and treatment options for families.
- The Mesothelioma Group: Support and resources on Mesothelioma patients and their families
- Senior Navigator: Resources for health and aging in Virginia
- Valley Program for Aging Services: local aging services; similar organizations exist by geographic region throughout the country