Elder caregiving and the modern workplace

Coming of Age: Meeting the needs of our aging population

How will Canadians balance their caregiving duties with their jobs? As the first of the baby boomers soon turn 80, we expect a growing number of employees in workplaces across Canada with caregiving responsibilities.

In this episode, Donna Duncan is joined by a panel of experts discussing elder caregiving and the modern workplace. Listen as they explore the growing trends and implications for employers and for Canadians balancing caring for their elderly loved ones with careers and workplace commitments. As more Canadians find themselves navigating caregiving responsibilities, let’s discuss workplace and societal strategies.

Episode guests:

· Pedro Antunes, Chief Economist, Conference Board of Canada

· Nora Spinks, Work-Life Harmony Enterprises and seniors’ and family thought-leader

· Allison Williams, Social Geographer at McMaster University and Research Lead of the Canadian Institute for Health Research/Social Science Humanities Health Research, Healthy Productive Work Partnership Grant

Resources:

· Conference Board of Canada Reports

o The time to fix long-term care is now (2020)

o Sizing up the challenge: Meeting the demand for long-term care in Canada (2017)

· Resources for employers:

o Caregiver Friendly Workplace by McMaster University

o Carer-friendly workplaces, inclusive and accommodating employment practices by Carers Canada

· Research

o Balancing Flexibility and Administrative Burden: Experiences of Family Managers Using Directly Funded Home Care in Manitoba, Canada

o Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on carer-employees’ well-being: a twelve-country comparison

Thanks for listening to Season 3! Join us next week for a new episode. Subscribe to Coming of Age to catch each new episode as soon as it’s released.