Support Systers, LLC -- News

Marketwire
June 22, 2004

Support Systers Addresses Major Productivity Concerns for Hunterdon County Businesses

ANNANDALE, NJ – The Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce has announced that Support Systers, LLC and it's award-winning Patient and Family Services will join in the Chamber's Member2Member Services program in an effort to address the increasing productivity drain that area businesses face related to health care and an aging population.

Support Systers offers a comprehensive set of services designed with business interests in mind and centered around its core service: transporting and accompanying patients on their medical appointments. Previously, when a key employee had to care for an ill or aging loved-one, he or she would have to take considerable time off from work. Additionally, the emotional stress and lack of focus accompanying this responsibility would certainly affect his or her job performance and productivity -- and consequently, the company's overall competitiveness.

Employees no longer must take significant time or focus away from their work in order to provide this care as Support Systers' highly skilled and experienced Registered Nurses can get their loved-ones to their medical appointments while making sure all health needs are addressed, all essential questions are asked and all medical options are considered, In fact, these nurses often address vital issues that would not even occur to the average lay-person caring for a loved one. With Support Systers, not only are employees assured that their loved-ones are receiving highest level of care, but their employers no longer need to suffer a significant loss in productivity in the process.

"The demographic shift that our society is experiencing presents increasingly critical issues for businesses in our community," says Suzanne Lagay, President of theHunterdon County Chamber of Commerce. "It is our principal purpose to foster an environment where businesses can thrive, and we are very excited to integrate such a progressive company as Support Systers into our strategy to meet this growing challenge for our members."

Although larger corporations have become aware of these threats to their bottom line concerns, many smaller businesses have not yet awakened to the growing trend of key employees being thrust into caregiver roles for aging loved-ones and the impact that this has on business productivity. Currently, one in four of all workers provide care to a senior family member or loved-one, and this care requires an average of approximately 20 hours per week. Two-thirds of these workers report having to rearrange their work-schedules, decrease their hours or take unpaid leaves in order to meet their caregiving responsibilities. As our population ages, these figures will grow.

The cost to the individual workers involved is obvious and amounts to an average loss of more than $650,000 over their lifetimes (as a result of lost wages combined with lost pension and Social Security benefits). This says nothing of the impact on their career development or earning potential -- especially for women, who are currently bearing the brunt of this responsibility in our society. What is even more staggering is that this phenomenon is costing American companies an estimated loss of $29 billion every year in business productivity. Companies that recognize and confront these trends will gain a competitive advantage over those who fail to do so. Support Systers has developed programs and services to help businesses address these increasingly significant issues.

Steve Kane, President and COO of Support Systers, says, "Our nurses act much like surrogate family members as they make sure that all of the right questions are being asked of physicians and health care professionals and that all of the answers are fully understood by patients and loved-ones. This enables people to focus on the other areas in their lives, such as their jobs, with full knowledge and confidence that their loved-one is receiving the best health care possible -- better care than most people could likely attain on their own."

"As a result," Kane continues, "communications improve, patient compliance improves, recovery times are shortened, costs are reduced and optimal medical outcomes are achieved. The stress and compromise typically inherent in the care of a loved-one are dramatically mitigated for the caregiver, and caregivers no longer have to sacrifice their careers in order to attain the best health care for their loved ones."

Support Systers has introduced a set of programs specifically designed for employers who recognize the importance of both promoting optimum employee productivity as well as fostering a cooperative and supportive workplace for their employees. These programs include Key-Employee Safety Net, Visiting Executives Support, Relocation Support, Job-site Pharmacy Services, and Onsite Nursing.

As a Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce Member2Member discount partner, Support Systers offers other Chamber members a 10% discount on all of its services.

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