CONTACT: Pamela D. Wilson 303-810-1816

Email:   Inquiry_For_Pamela@pameladwilson.com

Golden, Colorado – June 1, 2020

The Caring Generation Elder Care Workplace Solutions COVID19

Golden CO- Caregiving expert Pamela D. Wilson hosts The Caring Generation® radio program for caregivers and aging adults this coming Wednesday, June 3, on the Bold Brave Media Network. The program airs live at 9 p.m. EST. The Caring Generation® aired initially from 2009 to 2011 on 630 KHOW-AM in Denver, Colorado.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Caregiving and Caregivers in the Workplace

It's no secret that COVID-19 has changed everyday life. Changes in daily routines, schedules, and standard ways of doing things have taken many of us out of our comfort zones. In a recent Society of Human Resource Management survey, employees in the workplace and remote workers are confirming more significant stress as a result of COVID-19

About 40% of all employees report experiencing symptoms of depression. Thirty-five percent report feeling tired or having little energy. Nearly 1 in 4 employees or about 23% report feeling bad about themselves or feel that they are a failure who has let themselves or their families down. Of this 23%, 2 in 3 or about 65% -- are working caregivers with healthcare workers or elderly loved ones living with them who are concerned bout COVID19 and the effects on their family.

The Effect of Caregiving Stress on the Immune System

We've all heard that chronic disease and a weakened immune system make us more susceptible to COVID-19 and other illnesses. The guest for this caregiving radio program is Dr. Christopher Fagundes, Associate Professor from Rice University in the Department of Psychology, who will talk about how stress "gets under the skin" to impact health and disease.

Dr. Fagundes has authored more than 100 articles and book chapters and is working to develop theoretically-based interventions to improve the negative physical health consequences of stress. He will share the links between stress – chronic disease – and the immune system offering insights into the health of elders that may benefit family caregivers.

The Link Between Workplace Performance and Caregiving

Human resource departments are challenged to identify elder care workplace solutions and elder care programs that meet the wide-ranging needs of the working caregiving population. According to writer Annie Dillard, the average person spends 90,000 hours at work over a lifetime or 1/3 of our life working. Jobs have a considerable impact on the quality of life. Other research confirms that education has a positive effect on population health.

Until the workplace begins to support working caregivers through elder care programs, the U.S. may not make substantial improvements in chronic disease management, health, or well-being. Employees need access to systems – like computer labs in the workplace – and online eldercare workplace solutions to have 24/7 access to wellness, healthcare, elder care, and caregiving education.

Becoming a caregiver is a life transition that almost everyone will face. Pamela D. Wilson offers online family caregiving education programs and caregiver courses. More information about her online course, Taking Care of Elderly Parents: Stay At Home and Beyond, provided through corporations for working caregivers is available on her website. 

Join Pamela on The Caring Generation to learn the answers to these and other questions about living with elderly parents. The Caring Generation® radio program airs live at 6 p.m. Pacific, 7 p.m. Mountain, 8 p.m. Central, and 9 p.m. Eastern every Wednesday night.  Replays of the weekly programs are available in podcast format with transcripts on Pamela's website and all major podcast sites. More information about Pamela and her support programs are available on her website.  

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