Six in ten family caregivers are employed, the majority work full time. Surprisingly, 25 percent of family caregivers are Millennials.

According to Met Life, in the U.S. alone, employers incur $13.4 billion per year in added health care costs, and lost productivity is as high as $34 billion.

Employees were more likely to report fair or poor health in general and younger caregivers demonstrated significantly higher rates of cholesterol, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), depression, kidney disease and heart disease.

Discrimination – The Elephant in the Closet

According to the Center for WorkLife Law, “Caregiver discrimination is employment discrimination against workers based on their family caregiving responsibilities. They may be rejected for hire, passed over for promotion, demoted, harassed, or terminated – despite good performance – simply because their employers make personnel decisions based on stereotypical notions of how they will or should act given their family responsibilities.”

One company that does not discriminate is Logistics Health whose CEO, Don Weber, was a guest on my Caregiver Smile Summit. What he has done to combat caregiver discrimination is a lesson on what individuals can do to help themselves.

Don’s workforce is relatively young, with an average age of 38. He recognizes that the experience of caregiving for family members and loved ones is a sacred part of the human experience.

He also knows that when employers support their staff members throughout the transition into caregiving and beyond, it strengthens their business, their communities and the families who live there.

Advocate

Caregivers can advocate, though going individually to management and advocating on your own for issues impacting family caregivers may or may not work, according to Don.

However, if you get enough of the employee base to sit down with management to explain the challenges, share stories and truly work as partners to address the issues, there is better chance of affecting change.

As Don shared, “I can’t imagine that most employers would shy from asking, ‘How can we work together on this?’ This is the best investment we have ever made.”

Take Time for Wellness

Logistics gives employees three hours of paid wellness time per week. They have had no premium increase in their health insurance plans since 2011. In fact, premiums have gone down 26% because of their investment in the overall wellness of employees.

Take care of yourself. The statistics on family caregivers pre-deceasing the person they are taking care of are staggering. My sister was one such statistic. Taking care of yourself will make you a better employee and a better caregiver and give an employer one less reason to consider letting you go.

ReACT!

ReACT (Respect A Caregiver ’s Time) is an employer-focused coalition dedicated to addressing the challenges faced by employee caregivers and reducing the impact on the companies that employ them.

ReACT represents nearly one million employees through its membership of more than 30 companies and non-profit organizations.

You could consider seeking employment at a company that is part of ReACT or simply look at their best practices and build a groundswell among your fellow employees to advocate for them.

Change the Culture

Younger employees look at their overall quality of life as a gauge to their happiness and well-being. “When they see we are investing in them personally and their families, it really helps us attract talent,” says Don. As a result, turnover is low in the organization.

In fact, they are changing the outlook of their employees on what is important. When they announced a three percent merit increase, some employees said that instead of that, they would prefer to have one more day off to spend with their families! Employees banding together can change cultures.

Surprisingly, according to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), there has been a steady decrease in the proportion of US employers with eldercare programs.

So, it becomes even more imperative to advocate for yourself.

Question discriminatory action. If needed, meet with your HR department. In the U.S., you can email or call the WorkLife Law hotline. Look for a similar agency in your country or contact an employment attorney.

In the U.S., you can also consider contacting a local office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or a state agency that addresses equal employment opportunity issues.

How about you? Are you discriminated against in the workforce as a family caregiver? What have you experienced? Is your employer enlightened or in the dark ages? Let us know in the comments below.

Erika Jayne’s Blue Silk Confessional Top

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 13 Episode 14 Fashion

We have a confession to make. We love Erika Jayne’s blue silk confessional top. Okay that wasn’t much of a confession, but more of a statement. Either way she look’s gorg and we are here for it. Thankfully we don’t need Erika to confess if she knew where she got it because the answer lies below.  And so do some great Style Stealers, of course.

Sincerely Stylish,

Jess

Click Here to Shop Her Balenciaga Blue Silk Top

Originally posted at: Erika Jayne’s Blue Silk Confessional Top

If you’re struggling with extra weight in the belly, insulin resistance may be causing the problem. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. One of its functions is to transport sugars from the blood into all other cells of the body so that the sugars can be used as energy.

When blood sugar levels are high – after a meal or beverage containing lots of carbohydrates – the pancreas gets a message to release insulin into the blood. Insulin is often described as a ‘key’ because it helps to ‘unlock’ the door to our cells to let the sugars enter.

Too Many Carbs = High Blood Sugars and High Insulin Levels

When we consume too many carbohydrates – bread, cereal, rice, pasta, cookies, candy, soda, chocolate, etc. – this system gets thrown out of whack. The pancreas is forced to make extra insulin to compensate for all the extra sugars in the blood.

At the same time, the cells themselves, i.e., the muscle cells, become resistant to the insulin. When this happens, the pancreas is forced to make extra insulin to ‘knock on the door’ of the cells.

The Consequences

Having all that extra insulin and extra sugar in your blood is bad for several reasons:

• High levels of blood sugar and insulin can be a risk factor for heart disease.
• High insulin levels may cause your blood glucose (sugar) level to drop low – a state called hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia can be mild, moderate, or severe. Symptoms can include fatigue, weakness, shakiness, confusion, headache, irritability, hunger, and nausea.
• High insulin levels help promote the storage of those extra sugars as fat – right in the belly area.

The way that insulin resistance affects weight gain is complex. If you’re insulin resistant, your cells may be ‘starved’ for glucose because the sugars aren’t able to get out of the blood and into your cells where they belong. Feelings of mental fatigue and physical exhaustion usually follow.

When this happens, you may find yourself turning to the same carbohydrate-rich foods that caused the problem in the first place. Thus, you are perpetuating the cycle of high blood sugars, high insulin, low blood sugars, and fat storage in the belly.

Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Syndrome

In addition to obesity, high insulin levels are often associated with cholesterol abnormalities, and/or high blood pressure. When these disease processes occur together, it’s called Metabolic Syndrome.

Left unchecked, the pancreas will continue to overproduce insulin until ultimately it gets ‘tired’ and starts to ‘poop out’. As a result, the pancreas simply can’t continue to produce enough insulin to keep up with the body’s demands.

Blood sugar levels rise – and stay high – and the result is often type 2 diabetes. The symptoms of type 2 diabetes are sometimes subtle and may include:

• Overweight and obesity
• Excessive thirst
• Frequent urination
• Urination odor
• Weight loss without trying
• Fatigue
• Dark skin under the chin, groin, or armpits.

Managing Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes

Managing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes is possible with nutrition, exercise, and stress management, but it can be tricky. Reducing your carb intake is crucial, but cravings and emotional eating can sabotage your best efforts.

Many of the women I work with struggle with this. That’s why one of the first things I ask them to do is to be aware of what is going on with their feelings. If you’re craving a certain food or beverage and you’re not physically hungry, ask yourself the question, “What am I really craving?”

You might be lonely, bored, angry, overwhelmed, or tired. You can use this awareness as the first step to learning how to nurture yourself with something other than food.

How Stress Impacts Insulin Resistance

Stress also plays a big role with insulin resistance because of its effect on the adrenal glands. When you’re stressed, your body amps up its production of cortisol, and your liver starts releasing extra sugars into your blood to ‘save you’.

This process can result in more fat storage in the belly area. Implementing mindfulness can help calm this fight-or-flight response.

And finally, exercise is important, but sometimes a gentler approach is better. The last thing your body needs is extra stress and guilt about not exercising hard enough! Mindful movement such as yoga or Tai Chi can be helpful to reduce the effects of stress and promote an overall sense of well-being.

How are you dealing with Type 2 Diabetes or insulin resistance? What approaches are you taking to help minimize belly fat? Please share any strategies you have found helpful in your fight with insulin resistance.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is not professional medical advice and should not be treated as such.

Ariana Madix’s Rainbow Striped Dress on Instagram

Vanderpump Rules Instagram Fashion 2021

Somewhere over the rainbow in LA is bartender extraordinaire Ariana Madix Sur-ving up a fancy AF cocktail for the ‘Gram in this colourful rainbow striped maxi dress. And after this post, somewhere around 3-5 business days either the real thing or a Style Stealer of it is forecasted to magically appear in your closet.

Fashionably,

Faryn

Click Here to Shop Her Saloni Dress on Sale

Click Here For Additional Stock on Sale

Click Here to Watch the Video

Click Here to Follow Her New ‘Drink From Home’ Service

Click Here to Shop Her and Tom’s Book ‘Fancy AF Cocktails’

Photo: @Ariana252525

Originally posted at: Ariana Madix’s Rainbow Striped Dress

Having a roommate is probably something you haven’t done since your college years. But four decades after hanging up their caps and gowns, many people are considering it again. A 2018 AARP survey found significant interest in homesharing, with 32% of Americans over 50 at least willing to consider it.

The organization also reported that 4 million women aged 50-plus live in U.S. households with at least two women 50-plus – a number that is expected to rise.

And why not? There’s the bonus of earning extra income, but also the companionship, community and new experiences that come with sharing space with others.

Still, having a roommate in your 60s might not be for everyone and takes careful consideration. Here are three questions to ask yourself before taking the plunge.

Do You Have a Home with Unused Space?

Census data shows that 80% of those 60 and up own a home, and a large number of those have spare rooms at the ready. In fact, Trulia reports there are 3.6 million spare rooms available in the top 100 U.S. housing markets.

If you’re a homeowning empty nester, divorcee, widow or retiree, chances are you might have some underused rooms storing dusty exercise equipment or sitting empty until the next visitors pass through.

That said, how “spare” a spare room is often boils down to your willingness to trust someone else with that space and open it to a roommate. It can be overwhelming to declutter, haul off donations, relegate items to the garage and sell others. I urge you not to make that a deal breaker.

You’d be surprised at the number of organizations, such as Clearing Space and 1-800-GOT-JUNK, that are dedicated to helping with these tasks and relieving your stress and worry. There’s even a marketplace where you can rent storage space from a neighbor, so your items are safely tucked away within a reachable distance.

What Do You Want Out of a Roommate Relationship?

One of the most appealing things about having a roommate might be the extra monthly income it provides. And it is passive income – your home generates a flow of money. There are endless ways to put that income to good use, whether it’s funding travel, remodeling part of your home or something more practical like padding a retirement nest egg.

Income is far from the only reason homesharing is on the upswing. Many homesharers welcome the companionship and social aspects of sharing a space with others as they reach their sixth decade of life – a time when children have moved away with their own families, when women (in particular) are divorced or widowed and when our circle of friends starts shrinking.

It’s nice, then, to have someone with whom to share a happy-hour margarita on the patio, to catch a movie or to plan a themed dinner night.

Each roommate situation is unique, and you can choose yours depending on what you’re after in the relationship. Do you like the idea of the safety and security of having someone else around your house? Would it help to have a roommate who can watch your house and pets while you’re away?

Does the notion of giving a break to a younger teacher in the area who is struggling to cover the high cost of rent appeal to you because you were once in their shoes? How about someone who’s willing to help with chores and minor maintenance in exchange for a discount on rent?

Money might not – and likely will not – be the sole factor in your decision, so consider what other benefits you might be after and create your shared home accordingly.

Are You Concerned About What Others Might Think?

Even a few decades ago, the idea of having a roommate in your 50s and 60s seemed like a novel concept. The Golden Girls sitcom was so curious and entertaining in part because it was an atypical living arrangement in the 80s. Americans were in awe of this groundbreaking idea of four women in their mid-to-late 50s (and an older Sophia) living together under one roof.

Unfortunately, one of the reasons The Golden Girls was so fascinating was that the notion of women in their 50s and 60s living with a roommate carried a certain stigma. It wasn’t something people sought to do – it was something they had to do to make ends meet or because they weren’t capable of living alone.

Fast forward 40 years, and thankfully things are changing. Still, it’s not unusual for those considering a roommate to worry how the world will perceive it. “What will my kids think about me getting a roommate?” “What will my friends think?”

In nearly all cases, this is an unwarranted fear of judgment, particularly in 2021 when people are thinking and living differently than they once were. Women are now plotting a future that includes roommates – living with a group of friends as they get older, buying a small place in a co-living community or sharing space and experiences with an individual housemate.

With their many quirks, independence and unexpected bond, Grace and Frankie now represent the new image of modern-day roommate living in your 60s – and we’re better off for it.

When was the last time you had a roommate? What was that experience like? Would you like to have a repeat in your 60s? What would be your motivation? Would there be mutual benefits? If, so, what would they be?