HONOLULU (KHON2) — Navigating senior care and family caregiving can impact the workplace. Productivity can dip, and in many cases, people have to quit their jobs to care for loved ones. But one organization aims to help both employers and employees answer questions and explore solutions.
Hoʻokele Navigators is a service provider that deals with care coordination. For about three to four years, it’s been hosting free sessions called “Coffee & Cookies” for employers to help navigate the challenges of senior care.
“Coffee & Cookies started with an idea that we had of going out to businesses and speaking with their employees in a sort of a very intimate chat-type of arrangement,” said Bonnie Castonguay, co-founder and CEO of Hoʻokele Navigators.
Castonguay leads the talk-story discussions, sharing her expertise and answering questions in real time.
“Companies are big, and so they don’t know each other. But when they come to a common area and they have common issues, then they form a social network of their own, and they can help each other out,” she explains.
According to a report from AARP, more than half of family caregivers make changes to their work life to care for their loved ones. This includes reduced hours at work, taking time off, turning down promotions or having to quit altogether.
“I think it’s important for employers to understand that their staff are caregivers and the challenges that they face. And with some help, these employees can stay engaged and productive at their work site,” Castonguay said. “And so, if we can help them to put in some services, or for them to consider certain things, then they start, you can see the shoulders just, you know, just rest. The stress level in that room alone goes down immediately and people are having fun.”
Castonguay says help is out there, and just maybe it all starts with coffee and cookies to begin the planning process and start engaging.