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1992.08.03 :  Elder Care Program for SSA Employees

Contact: Phil Gambino (410) 965-8904
August 3, 1992

     Gwendolyn S. King, commissioner of Social Security, and 
Rosalie S. Abrams, director of the Maryland State Office on
Aging, today announced the launching of a "partnership" to
provide the services of an Elder Care Program for Social Security
Administration employees in Baltimore, Md.
     The partnership is based on the Maryland State Office on
Aging providing information, advice and community contacts which
SSA will use in developing and administering its elder care
program.
     "Based on a recent survey of our employees' needs, the
initial program is focusing on educating both employees and
managers about the nature of elder care and its impact on the
worklife of our employees," said Commissioner King.  "It will be
expanded to include lunchtime seminars, caregiver fairs, resource
centers, training for managers and caregiver support groups."
     "We are so pleased that SSA has joined us in a partnership
program to provide help to employees who are caregivers for older
people and must juggle work and family responsibilities," said 
Ms. Abrams.                      
       With the assistance and cooperation of the Maryland State
Office on Aging, lunchtime workshops were recently held in three
headquarters locations.  They were presented by a panel of elder
care experts who provided information on the medical aspects of
aging and the availability of elder care resources in the
community, such as Senior Information and Assistance centers,
senior centers, in-home care and geriatric assessments.  This
first series of workshops drew more than 200 SSA employees.
     There are many employees providing some type of care to
elderly members of their families.  Care being given to an
elderly person is many times "hidden" to anyone outside the
immediate family.  People are either unwilling to discuss with
others or just don't think others would be in similar situations
and might have an interest in sharing experiences.  The workshops
helped bridge that gap.
       For example, these workshops proved to be very beneficial
to Paulette Lutz, supervisory fiscal management analyst, who
cares for three elderly members in her family.  She learned of
the three types of dementia common to elderly people, two of
which are curable.  "Many times we think our loved ones have
Alzheimer's Disease just because they are having memory
problems," said Lutz, "when it could mean that their medication
needs adjusting or they may be suffering from depression and may
need more medication.  I also learned there are many resources
available to help older people live more valuable and meaningful
lives."
       According to Ms. Abrams, "America is aging and more people
are surviving into old age when the need for care is greatest. 
Nearly 13 percent of the population is 65 or older and those 85
and older are the fastest growing segment of our population. 
This `graying of America' suggests that more of us will be
responsible for the care of older parents, relatives and friends,
and for longer periods of time."
       "We expect this program to be very useful to our employees
and we eventually expect to expand the program to all of our
1,300 offices across the country.  We are looking forward to a
long working relationship with the Maryland State Office on Aging
in our continuing effort to enhance and expand our new elder care
program," said Commissioner King.
       The Social Security Administration employs over 65,000 men
and women nationwide -- including 14,500 employees in the
Baltimore area.  Over 7,100 SSA employees (15 percent of the
workforce) responded to a survey conducted on elder care needs,
indicating they had an interest in elder care services.


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