Zurich’s Eldercare support service offers ‘Sandwich generation’ a lifeline

Zurich Corporate Risk has launched a free digital eldercare service to all its corporate customers (group life and income protection) and their employees (insured and uninsured) to support those with elderly relatives to navigate the complex world of adult social care. Provided by Podplan, the online service will give users access to essential information in simple, easy-to-understand formats.

Analysis of ‘eldercare’ enquiries through the insurer’s Employee Assistance Programme showed a 117% increase in calls in the last year, highlighting an increasing need for this type of support¹. It was also identified as a contributing factor amongst income protection claimants struggling with their mental health.

With more than five million working carers in the UK² and at least one in seven UK employees now caring for a family member or close friend³, the insurer recognised that a service like Podplan would be hugely beneficial for those with caring responsibilities for elderly relatives.

Podplan is a one stop shop to support people planning for their parents’ or family members’ future. The platform offers access to:

• Care forms
• Benefits advice
• Guidance on care costs
• Vital planning tasks
• Accident prevention tools

Nick Homer, Head of Group Risk Market Management at Zurich, said:

“We continuously strive to do more to support the growing needs of our customers and their employees. Eldercare is something that we recognised as a vital need and as an increasing workplace challenge, as more and more employees struggle to manage the burden of carer responsibilities.

“We are increasingly seeing eldercare responsibilities as a contributing factor to an employees’ own mental health, and the impact this is having on their attendance and ability to work is growing. We are pleased to launch the Podplan service to our customers and provide their employees with the support and tools needed to help navigate the difficulties one faces when caring for an elderly parent.”

Jackie Cleaveland, Director at Podplan, said:

“So many of the difficulties that people encounter with elder care arise simply from being poorly prepared. The necessary steps haven’t been taken to mitigate against or avoid the various pitfalls that might occur, resulting not only in stress but also worse outcomes; for example, a loved one going into a care home when it could have been avoided. So, at Podplan, our focus isn't just on "picking up the pieces" in times of chaos and stress, but also on preventing that chaos in the first place."

Case study

Sally Thomas, Proposition Communications Manager at Zurich, said:

“I’ve just begun caring for my dad who can no longer live on his own. I needed to find somewhere new for him to live to keep him safe and also engage medical professionals to get him the medicines and support he needs. Having never had to do anything like this before, I had no idea how tough it would be. I didn’t know where to start, who to engage or what questions to ask, and spent most of my time worrying I was doing the wrong things and making the wrong decisions. There’s so much information out there, I just felt overwhelmed, upset and stressed.

“When I was introduced to Podplan I had access to the wealth of resources it offers – all in one place. The documents on the site are really helpful, ranging from tips on choosing a care home, what to expect from a care needs assessment, and a fantastic checklist to prompt you when choosing a care needs agency. These documents really helped me find my feet and understand what I needed to do.

“Caring for a loved one is emotionally exhausting. You want to spend your time with them doing nice things. This time can be eaten up surfing the net for hours looking for information. Podplan really helped me by providing easy access to expert information, this enabled me to spend more time with dad and my family.”

• For further information on Podplan, please click here

¹ Health assured data analysis 2022-2023
² Carers UK
³ www.carersuk.org/policy-and-research/key-facts-and-figures