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It's All About Time -
And Priorities, Too
By John Paul Marosy, President
Bringing Elder Care Home LLC
jpmarosy@charter.net
(508) 854-0431
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"In
the sense in which a person can ever be said to be at home in the
world, he or she is at home not through dominating, or explaining,
or appreciating, but by caring and being cared for."
"This moment is the only time there is." |
In early Twenty-First Century America, it seems none of us has enough time.
We perceive time
as a scarce, precious commodity. Job responsibilities, personal interests,
family concerns, community involvement, email and voice mail messages,
and myriad other items seem to clamor for our time and attention.
This state of affairs is not surprising. "Time poverty" appears to be
a national epidemic. Leaders of the new Take Back Our Time Movement (TBOTM)
declared October 24 "Take Back Your Time Day." http://www.simpleliving.net/timeday/
The timing of the day carries a powerful message: Americans work an average
of nine more weeks per year (the number of remaining weeks in the year,
as of October 24) than people in Western Europe. At 1,994 hours, U.S.
industrial workers spent more hours on the job than even their counterparts
in Japan (the former Capitol of Workaholism) where workers put in an average
1,803 hours per year.
TBOTM organizers say time poverty "contributes to the decline of family,
community, and civic life, and also harms the country's health. Among
the trends organizers noted: heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, infertility,
and mental disorders are on the rise," according to a Boston Globe article.
Family caregivers who are juggling job responsibilities while arranging
care for an ailing older relative feel the effects of the time crunch
most acutely. They are an at-risk group.
Some progressive employers are re-tooling their policies and practices
now to allow more flexibility via job-sharing, part-time jobs, flex-time
options, and telecommuting. A few healthcare institutions are beginning
to recognize the needs and contributions of family caregivers.
However, I suspect that in years to come baby boomers will demand solutions
that go beyond these voluntary efforts. After all, this age group has
never hesitated to assert its views and desires. And, because of their
numbers, the marketplace and the political system have usually responded.
We may see demands for mandatory weeks of vacation each year and a national
health care system that would allow workers to change jobs without the
threat of losing healthcare coverage.
Change will start with the decisions made by millions of individuals.
The elder care phenomenon is causing baby boomers to reluctantly acknowledge
their own mortality. For some, this will stimulate a more mature approach
to life, one which places value on the potential transformational experience
of embracing family caregiving as a dress rehearsal for their own aging.
Ironically, the baby boomers - that most self-indulgent generation - may
stimulate the creation of a more caring society and more caring work places.
As millions of 50-something Americans place increased value on caring
for others in their own lives, they may slow us all down a bit.
What do you think? Drop us an email with your comments and we'll publish
them in the next edition of "Elder Care / Work Balance."
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"Most
seminars and educational programs for employees dealing with elder
care over-emphasize providing information and totally miss the opportunity
to allow employees to embrace caregiving as a transformational experience.
Our seminars give employees principles they can return to as they
and their older relatives change through the caregiving experience."
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John Paul Marosy |
John Paul Marosy
Editor and President,
Bringing Elder Care Home LLC
John Paul Marosy is the author of Elder Care: A Six Step Guide to Balancing Work and Family, available from Bringing Elder Care Home Publishing on line at www.bringingeldercarehome.com or by calling 508-854-0431
Visit www.bringingeldercarehome.com or call or email today to learn how your organization can offer this effective resource. (508) 854-0431 jpmarosy@bringingeldercarehome.comThis newsletter may be reprinted in whole or in part so long as the author, John Paul Marosy, is credited and the Web site address, www.bringingeldercarehome.com, is provided.