Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | September 4, 2017 | Worcester Business Journal 13 S M A L L B U S I N E S S F O C U S Help during the day Polletta-Penny said people shouldn't feel no resources are available. Adult day health, she said, is an affordable alternative to private care in the home, which is paid by the hour, or institu- tional care, which is paid out-of-pocket if people aren't sick enough to receive insurance for nursing home care. Like many daycare centers for chil- dren, adult day health facilities charge a daily rate (at St. Francis, it's $65) and covering medical care, meals and social activities during work hours. Registered nurses and certified nurses aids are available around the clock. Insurance coverage is available for these services, Polletta-Penny said, and when there isn't, people can generally afford to pay out of pocket. But despite the benefits adult day health offers, she thinks it's a little-known option. "I've realized, in having people com- ing in for tours, they just don't know the option is there," Polletta-Penny said. Fallon encourages flexibility The burden of caregiving, on both employees and employers, is something Worcester-based Fallon Health is tap- ping into, said Jill Lebow, chief human resources officer for the insurer. In June, Fallon held a symposium on the topic, with an audience of about 140 employers, insurance brokers and healthcare providers. "We put together this program to real- ly concentrate on what it means to be a caregiver in the U.S., and what impact caregiving has on the economy, on employers, on the community, and on the caregivers themselves," Lebow said. Lebow said employers face absentee- ism and presenteeism, which refers to W reduced productivity when employees are working because of stress and exhaustion of caregiving. Caregivers may have a decline in their own health, and 60 percent of caregivers experience work-related impacts, even quitting. Lebow said offering flexible work arrangement whenever possible is one way employers can help employees. If an employee has to take a parent to an appointment or telecommute, Lebow said department heads accommodate those requests whenever possible. "If we can make an accomodation to their schedule, while still meeting busi- ness needs, we do that," Lebow said. Saint Francis Activities Director Molly Gianfriddo plays a game with the clients at the day care center. P H O T O / E D D C O T E

• Cover