New Funding Broadens Rosalynn Carter Institute’s Employment Work
AMERICUS, GEORGIA – The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers (RCI) is pleased to announce the Cambia Health Foundation’s commitment of $250,000 to support RCI’s recently-launched employment initiative. The work aims to explore the effects of caregiver employment policies on the more than 60 percent of family caregivers who work full time.
The first phase of this effort, currently underway with early funding from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, is a research study led by Public Opinion Strategies, which is surveying working caregivers to understand the impact of employer-provided accommodations and supports. Results from the initial survey are expected later this summer and will be followed by in-depth research with caregivers and employers in a range of industry sectors. Through this work, RCI will explore the interplay between employer supports and the types of available community services, and their affordability. The intent is to assess alignment and/or mismatch between benefits offered by employers, alongside whether those opportunities are available and taken up, and how they help or hinder caregiver employment.
“Unpaid caregivers face multiple challenges and competing priorities for their time, often juggling work, childcare, and the desire to support their loved ones through serious illness,” said Peggy Maguire, president of Cambia Health Foundation. “Employers have the best intentions of providing resources to their caregiver employees, but they may not know exactly what to do.”
The survey will better illuminate caregiver needs and help outline next steps. Plans currently include deep engagement with select employers to gain a better understanding of all the factors at play in employee decisions whether to take advantage of or deny the offerings provided by their employers. Ultimately, RCI’s goals are to expand effective employer supports and strengthen public policies for working caregivers.
“We’re proud of where this initiative is going and what we will be able to learn about working caregivers, and we are so thrilled to have the support of Cambia Health Foundation in this effort,” said Dr. Jennifer Olsen, Chief Executive Officer of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers.
About the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers
The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers promotes the health, strength, and resilience of caregivers throughout the United States. Established in 1987 by former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, the Institute’s priority is the family caregiver: those individuals who care for a relative, friend or loved one. To learn more about RCI, visit www.rosalynncarter.org.
About Cambia Health Foundation
Cambia Health Foundation is the corporate foundation of Cambia Health Solutions, a total health solutions company dedicated to making health care more person-focused and economically sustainable. Founded in 2007, the foundation has funded over $80 million in grants to advance whole-person care models at every stage of life and build a just and inclusive health care system for all. Learn more at http://www.cambiahealthfoundation.org and follow us on Twitter @CambiaHealthFdn.