New
Elder Care Resource for Staff and Faculty
With a grant from the American
Council on Education and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation,
Smith’s
has launched a to help Smith staff
and faculty with the challenges of providing or procuring
appropriate care for an elder, from the occasional visit
with a home health aide to full-time nursing home care and
everything in between. Elder care has become a common and
pressing concern not only for Smith faculty and staff, but
for the workforce in general. A 2009 survey conducted at
Smith by the Sloan Foundation showed that twelve percent
of Smith faculty members already spend more than three hours
a week on elder care and that nearly half of the faculty
struggle to balance their workloads with the responsibilities
of caring for elderly parents.
This new comprehensive site
represents a new direction for the Center for Work & Life,
which until now has been aimed primarily at preparing students
for the work-life balance issues they will face upon graduation.
It provides the tools for assessing an elder’s needs and
addresses financial and legal issues, assists with sorting
out different types of care, and navigates the myriad elder
resources available in the U.S. The site does not advocate
for any type of care, nor for any facility or organization
mentioned in the guide. It serves as an introduction to the
range of possibilities, focusing on government and nonprofit
organizations and resources.
The Center for Work & Life
welcomes feedback and comments, which you may send to in the Office of the Dean of the College.
Staff and faculty are invited
to participate in a discussion about the new site on November
10, from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Smith College Conference Center.
Beverages and snacks will be served. |
