"Podplan enabled me to spend more time with Dad and my family."
- Sally Thomas, Proposition Communications Manager at Zurich Insurance
After recording a 117% surge in ‘eldercare’ enquires through its Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) last year, Zurich Insurance has launched a free digital eldercare service for its corporate customers with Group Life and/or Income Protection (IP) and employees – whether they’re insured or not – to support those with elderly relatives. Podplan provides users with care forms, benefits advice, guidance on care costs, vital planning tasks, and accident prevention tools.
According to Carers UK, there are more than 5mn working carers in the UK, with at least one in seven employees now caring for a family member or close friend. “I’ve just begun caring for my Dad who can no longer live on his own […] I had no idea how tough it would be,” confessed Sally Thomas, Proposition Communications Manager at Zurich Insurance. She didn’t know where to start, who to engage or what questions to ask; “I spent most of my time worrying I was making the wrong decisions.”
However, when she was introduced to Podplan, Sally felt the documents on the site, ranging from tips on choosing a care home to what to expect from a care needs assessment, “helped me find my feet and understand what I needed to do.”
Nick Homer, Head of Group Risk Market Management at Zurich Insurance, said eldercare is a “vital need” with more and more employees struggling to manage the burden of carer responsibilities. “We are pleased to launch the Podplan service to our customers and provide their employees with tools to help navigate the difficulties one faces when caring for an elderly parent,” he added.
“Many of the difficulties that people encounter with eldercare arise simply from being poorly prepared,” agreed Jackie Cleaveland, Director at Podplan. Consequently, Podplan aims to not just ‘pick up the pieces’ in times of chaos and stress, but prevent that chaos in the first place.
