Resources for Caregivers
If caring for family members and loved ones is part of your daily routine, you know the importance of having access to reliable, qualified and cost-effective resources. Your benefits can help with child, adult and elder care.
Resources
Employees who are eligible for Columbia medical coverage have 24/7 access to a free and confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP), provided through TELUS Health. Through the EAP, you can:
- Receive short-term counseling on managing adult/elder care, coping with stress, avoiding burnout and more.
- Talk with a specialist who will research care options based on your situation and provide you with feedback within three business days.
- Obtain customized information and referrals to elder and adult care services in your or your loved one’s community.
- Explore elder care options such as assisted living facilities and in-home care.
- Learn about dementia, health care directives and caring from a distance.
Talk About It
Many of us may spend more years caring for elderly parents than raising children. Involve your parents in planning for their future care while they remain able to participate in the discussion.
Benefits-eligible employees have access to United Healthcare's Advocate4Me, a resource to help you, your spouse, dependent children, parents and parents-in-law:
- Find the right doctors, hospitals and other health care providers
- Coordinate care and schedule follow-up visits, facilitate second opinions, transfer X-rays and medical records
- Work with insurance companies to clarify benefits and negotiate billing
- Locate elder care services that fall outside of traditional healthcare coverage, including assisted living and adult day care
For more information, go to the Columbia Advocacy Services page or phone them directly at 800-232-9357.
Your sitter’s planning a vacation. An out-of-state family member falls ill. Your home health worker switches jobs. When the unexpected occurs and you need immediate access to child- or adult-caregiver resources, use Columbia’s Back-Up Care Advantage Program, provided by Bright Horizons.
As an employee of Columbia, you have access to a variety of resources and support, including:
- Babysitters, nannies and housekeepers
- Elder care
- Center-based child care
You can access this service by calling 1-877-BH-CARES (242-2737) or on the Bright Horizons Back-Up Care webpage. Registration in advance is recommended (Username: columbia; Password: backupcare [case sensitive]).
Requests for care can be made 30 days to 24 hours in advance (availability of caregivers is not guaranteed). Each fiscal year, Columbia provides you with access to 150 hours of back-up care for children and adults and covers most of the cost.
For more information, including copays for services, visit Columbia's Office of Work/Life’s Back-Up Care page.
Employees may receive information and services from Columbia’s Office of Work/Life, including the School and Child Care Search, the pre-K and Kindergarten Newsletter and the Back-Up Care program. Visit the Work/Life website for more details, programs and events.
In your role as caregiver you may be eligible for a paid or unpaid leave of absence from work. For assistance, contact the CUHR Leave Management Office at [email protected].