There are roughly 53 million unpaid caregivers in the United States according to a 2020 national survey conducted for the National Alliance for Caregiving and the AARP. Over 5.5 million are caring for former or current U.S. military members. Indeed, most of us will be caregivers at one point or another to spouses, parents, children, or friends. With statistics like that, the likelihood of interviewing, hiring, or employing a caregiver is high.

"There are only four kinds of people in this world: those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers and those who will need caregivers. Caregiving is universal." -- Rosalynn Carter, Former First Lady of the United States

What is a 'Caregiver'
A caregiver is anyone who helps take care of the needs of a friend, family member, or other loved one who has limitations due to an illness, injury, or disability. It is important to understand that the severity of the illness, injury, or disability is not dictated by its visibility.

Caregiving comes in many variations and isn't always 24/7. Some caregiving may be accomplished prior to the caregiver going about their day, such as helping a loved one dress. Managing medical appointments may happen over a lunch break. Other caregivers will need to be in touch periodically throughout the day by a predetermined means such as texting or short video calls for medication management.

No one caregiving team or approach is identical to another.

Caregivers are the 'Hidden Heroes' that ease the burden of their loved ones as they live out a normal day.

Military-Affiliated Caregiving
While it is true that no caregiving team is alike, what is similar across all military-affiliated caregivers is the unyielding nature of care appointments at the Department of Defense (DOD) or Veterans Health Administration (VHA). I'd like to take a minute to explain for those used to civilian care.

Most VHA appointments are located at centralized hospitals or community-based clinics, which may or may not be close to the veteran who is getting health care. While this has improved recently, it is not always guaranteed.

Sometimes appointments are scheduled without feedback from the veteran, and there are no wait lists for canceled appointments. Available appointment options are limited, especially for specialty care clinics which may only be available one day a week. Unlike civilian care, a veteran will not be able to choose another day or an outside provider.

Within the DOD and VHA systems, appointments may take longer than their civilian counterparts. A typical day for my veteran with a primary care team, a lab appointment, a prescription pick up, and rescheduling will take us roughly 3 hours from the time we enter the hospital. Add on about an hour for any simple prosthetics department pick up. That does not include our 3 hours of travel time.

Caregivers as Employees
I mentioned earlier that the likelihood is high that a caregiver will apply to, or be employed by, your organization. That is a great thing. An employee who is a caregiver brings a special skill set to their already qualified resume.

Caregivers are often tireless, dedicated, and resourceful. They are used to dealing with complicated scenarios and are experts in project management. A military-affiliated caregiver will also bring an understanding of regulations and procedures, a knack for coordination, an ability to prioritize, a sense of empathy and compassion, and amazing skills in organization.

However, this advantage is best realized when your caregiving employees understand that your organization is aware of and supportive of their unique work-life balance. Ensure your caregiving employees are aware that they will not face discrimination due to their unique situation.

"Only 56 percent of caregivers report that their work supervisor is aware of their caregiving responsibilities. Often, caregivers who choose not to disclose their situations to employers fear they may appear as a burden or be overlooked for future advancement." -- Toolkit: Supporting Military Caregivers in the Workforce

How to Ensure Caregiving Employees Thrive
Beyond fostering open conversations about the challenges and needs faced by caregiving employees, there are several simple supports an organization can take to ensure caregiving employees thrive.

• Human Resources can lead discussions about the translation of unique caregiving experience into employment skills during the hiring process. Recruiters and hiring managers should also be educated to prevent judgment bias when reviewing a non-traditional resume that includes caregiving or unexplained gaps. Ensure that interviewers allow interviewees a chance to explain the translation of their caregiving skills.
• Organizations can also look to support caregiving employees through establishing clear procedures and policies regarding caregiving situations. These policies could start with a clear organizational stance on the value of caregivers in the social structure. They should also include clear procedures for caregivers to report a need for use of employee benefits such as accrued sick leave.
• Organizations can also provide support structures that are beneficial to caregiving employees such as flexible work hours, telecommuting opportunities, additional paid or unpaid family or sick leave, and employee assistance programs (EAPs). An organization may also consider voluntary leave pools.
• Don't be afraid to think outside the box as an institution. If there are mandatory volunteer hours, can they be fulfilled through caregiving? Establish a mentorship program for caregiving employees. Assist in a dialogue between employees and managers so that needs are understood.

Above all, I encourage every organization to have an open conversation about what a day of care looks like for your military-affiliated employees so that needs among the military-affiliated employees can be understood. Only then can the organization understand the local health picture and needs.

Case in Point
How does this work in practice?

A newly hired professor, who disclosed her caregiving experience during her interview and hiring process, has requested to teach only traditional Monday, Wednesday, Friday courses or three-hour evening/weekend courses. Her caregivee has a specialty therapy in a clinic that is only offered on Thursdays at a hospital over an hour from home. If she must teach Thursday, her caregivee has no way to attend this much needed therapy and there are no alternatives.

How would this best be submitted to the institution? Directly through Human Resources, a department chair, or a direct supervisor? How could it be validated without medical privacy violation and in an understanding manner? Could the accessibility office help tackle this process? What should the approval process look like?

Having a clear process and procedure in effect would allow for that newly hired professor to understand her options and allow a work-life balance that is best for the organization and her caregiving role.

Next Steps
With over 53 million unpaid caregivers in the United States, it is an almost absolute certainty that an organization will employ a caregiver at some point in time. It's time for every organization, higher education included, to think about how to ensure the workplace environment, policies, and procedures ensure success for these employees.

Caira Benson had the perfect career as a non-profit executive director and Art History professor. She'd leave it all to become a caregiver to her husband, a catastrophically injured veteran, and she began advocating for veterans and their caregivers shortly thereafter. Caira began writing as a way to keep her sanity intact, and she is just finishing her MFA in Creative Writing. In addition to her debut novel, she writes non-fiction pieces to help bring about awareness for the military veteran population.

Article Topics

Job Search Advice Military Friendly Institutions Serving Military in HigherEd Veterans Academic Success Workplace Inclusion

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