When the 3M company asked David Horton to relocate from Detroit to Chicago last year, there was one complicating factor: his elderly mother-in-law. Emily Kennedy is 81, legally blind and suffers from heart problems. "I knew [that if we decided to make the move] she would have to come with us," says David's wife, Marsha.
Fortunately, 3M is one of a growing number of employers that helps workers to accommodate elderly relatives. Among the perks: referrals to nursing homes; doctors and day care for senior citizens; reimbursement for the cost of moving an elderly family member; and free assistance from relocation consultants well-versed in the needs of the elderly. With the help of a 3M-funded consultant, for example, the Hortons moved Mrs. Kennedy into a home with a first-story bedroom suite and handicapped accessibility. With this kind of help, says Marsha Kennedy-Horton, "I'd do it all over again."
It used to be that the toughest part of a corporate move was finding the right school for the kids. But for members of today's "sandwich generation," who are juggling care for their aging parents and their young children, the kids' needs may seem simple compared with those of their elderly relatives.
Roughly one senior citizen in five lives with a child or other relative, and companies are beginning to recognize the need to include them when relocating employees. In a survey by the Employee Relocation Council, a national association concerned with domestic and international employee-transfer issues, 17 percent of the companies surveyed said they already have a formal policy regarding elder care assistance during relocation. Another 7 percent said they offer help on a case-by-case basis.
THE BENEFITS
Among the most common benefits: helping employees locate nursing homes in the new community, paying for travel costs and for moving the relative's possessions, and pre-tax salary deductions to pay for elder care. Though the overall number of transferees who ask for help for an elderly relative is still quite small, it's growing quickly. Says Arlene A. Johnson of the Families and Work Institute, a national organization that researches family and the workplace: "If you drew a trend line, it would be straight up."
Many companies hire relocation consultants who will help employees with elder care issues the same way they'll help them sell their house, choose a new neighborhood and pack the china. If your relative will need nursing home placement, most firms will put you in touch with a relocation expert in your new community who can visit facilities on your behalf and make recommendations. "We don't just give them a list of nursing homes from out of a database," says Maxine Nelson of Career Development Services, the Rochester, New York, company that helped the Kennedy-Hortons with their move.
IF YOU'RE GOING IT ALONE
But if you're not lucky enough to receive help from a pro, don't panic: While experts can help handle the details and reduce the stress, much of the work consists of basic information-gathering and common sense. If Dad can still live on his own, think about finding a house, an efficiency apartment or an assisted-living community near your new home. If you know Mom will need to live with you, you may want to look for a house that offers one-level living (with a bedroom and full bath downstairs).
If the parent doesn't live with you now, check your company's policy: Your mother or father may have to move in before the transfer in order for the company to pay the extra moving costs. Ask your parent's current doctor if he knows any doctors in your new community, or check with colleagues at the new office for recommendations. If you'll need to find a nursing home on your own, get recommendations from area doctors, check CONSUMER REPORTS rankings and give potential facilities a thorough inspection when you make your house-hunting trip.
And don't forget to check out local senior citizen groups as well as church or synagogue activities that may be of interest to your relocating parent. After all, getting your parent to a new address is only part of the battle. The more difficult job will be making your new house feel like a home.
Daniel McGinn is a correspondent in the Detroit bureau of NEWSWEEK.
