Judging by the response to my last article, “Caregiving — a human rights issue”, it seems I have really touched a nerve in the Bermudian community. I had e-mails, phone calls, and comments in the street in appreciation of the article, and on the need to champion the needs and rights of the caregiver.

One woman said, “thank you for letting me know I am not alone.” Another woman, who has given serious consideration to leaving paid work to care for her parents, said she now understands from reading the article that doing so would mean a loss of income and benefits.

This leads to a discussion on the financial cost to us all of an ageing population and the need to keep seniors in their homes as long as possible. We know that the majority of care for seniors in need is done in the home by loving, caring, family members. However, just because the informal, family caregivers are not paid (unlike professional care providers), this does not mean there are no costs to employers, caregivers, and society at large. Far from it.

In their June 25, 2007, press release, the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) reports “Family caregiving valued at $350 billion. The productivity losses to US business associated with caregiving are up to $33 billion a year.”

These are pretty hefty numbers. Let’s examine the various components involved in these estimates.

First and foremost, the contribution by unpaid, family caregivers of their time and skills to the health care system is the biggest factor. No health care system — no matter how great — could possibly absorb the costs associated with the amount of care so freely given by family members.

Second, from the employer’s perspective, major costs are associated with lost productivity that comes through full or partial absenteeism by caregiving employees.

Employers also have to count the cost of workday interruptions through elder-care crises, excessive use of the telephone, extra costs associated with supervisors’ time in managing disrupted staff and schedules, and the enormous costs associated with staff turnover and loss of key employees. It is estimated that staff turnover costs anywhere from months’ to 2 years’ salary per employee before the replacement is fully operational and productive.

Employers are understandably concerned about the costs associated with caregiving, as well as any move to implement policies that support caregivers in the workplace. Their first reaction is “This is going to cost us.” The response is, “Yes, it is. But it is already costing you, you just don’t know how much.”

The costs can be either at the front end, where we can measure them, or at the back end where they are hidden. Either way, the costs are there. And they are going to increase as our population ages.

Third, for the caregiver who is also in paid work, the same major factor of absenteeism results in lost wages, lost benefits such as health insurance and pension contributions, lost job security, lost opportunities for professional training, and lost opportunities for promotion. It is a hefty price to pay for doing the right thing.

Other, significant, hidden costs are associated with the impact on caregivers’ health, whether it is psychological, physical, or social. In the Fordham Report “Ageing in Bermuda: meeting the needs of seniors” (2004), almost 25 percent of the caregivers surveyed were caring for parents with Alzheimer’s disease or some other form of dementia — both widely recognised as the most stressful forms of caregiving.

Finally, caregivers are pivotal in keeping seniors with needs in their own homes as long as possible. AARP reports that “family caregivers play a vital role and are the backbone for the long-term care network ...” Without the family caregivers our healthcare system would collapse, and that will really cost us. Don’t you think we should support the caregivers instead?

Marian Sherratt is Executive Director, Bermuda Council on Ageing. She writes on issues concerning ageing each fortnight in The Royal Gazette. Send e-mail responses to info@bdaca.org.