Supporting the sandwich generation

Previously used to describe adults who simultaneously take care of their aging parents and young children, the term “sandwich caregivers” has now expanded to include adults who take care of their adult children and/or young grandchildren.

With over 60% of sandwich caregivers being in their prime working years, Plan Sponsors should consider the importance of a flexible and supportive work environment to mitigate any risk of health-related absence and presenteeism at work.

To encourage a healthy work-life balance, Plan Sponsors can support their sandwich caregiver employees by offering:

• Flexible work arrangements
• Training for leaders on how to support caregivers (eg., workshops on effective communication and empathy)
• Education for caregivers (eg., through wellness sessions)
• Mental health resources for caregivers and leaders

Employees and leaders can explore benefit options offered through their Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) and/or their Extended Health Care plan.

Pacific Blue Cross members with EFAP coverage can learn more by logging in to Homeweb for free online resources for specific topics such as parenting, caregiver support, family care services and more. They can also check their coverage for counselling services on Member Profile.

Visit our Mental Health Resources page for additional ways to support your members.

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The power of resistance training at any age

We all understand the importance of exercise for our health, especially as we age. However, between work, family and home responsibilities, finding time to exercise can be challenging, and the thought of dedicating 20 minutes to a daily exercise routine can seem unrealistic.

Fortunately, engaging in any amount of resistance training is beneficial to prevent and manage type 2 diabetes, reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels, increase bone mineral density, enhance mental health and reverse aging factors in skeletal muscle.

Resistance training requires no equipment and can be done anytime, making it easy to add into a busy schedule. These exercises involve pushing or pulling against the resistance of an object, such as body weight. Get started with these movements that incorporate body-weight resistance:

1. 10 jumping jacks
2. 10 walking lunges (each side)
3. 10 bodyweight squats
4. 10 wall/chair push-ups
5. 20 step ups

Encourage your employees to find creative ways to stay active during the day – whether it’s doing a round of squats between meetings, doing jumping jacks to fight an afternoon slump, or setting a timer to do a few quick exercises every hour, there are many ways to integrate resistance training into the workday.

Want to improve health and promote exercise in your workplace? Contact our Health and Wellness team to organize a free team Health Challenge.

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Discover your true age

Pacific Blue Cross members registered for Member Profile can access Health Connected for challenges, health records, and assessments, including our Health Risk Assessment (HRA). Encourage your members to sign-in and complete the HRA to compare their adjusted age with their biological age. 

The HRA can be completed in under 20 minutes, providing a personalized risk-based age dependent on lifestyle factors. It evaluates diet, physical activity, stress, sleep, doctor visits, anxiety, depression, and more to recommend areas for improvement. Results are available immediately, with targeted challenges to reduce higher-risk habits.

Accessing the Health Risk Assessment:

1. Log in to Member Profile.
2. Click Digital Wellness Tools on the left, then Proceed to open Health Connected in another window.
3. Find the Health Risk Assessment under Assessments at the top of the page or in the Dashboard at the top right.

Nothing feels better than quantifying and celebrating success. Encourage your members to retake the HRA after making healthy changes to see how many years they’ve shaved off of their risk-based age!

Meet one of our Claims Administrators, Lay!

Lay has been with Pacific Blue Cross for five years and is currently a part of the Work and Wellness team as a Disability Claims Administrator. In her role, Lay acts as a background investigator for claims, ensuring the accuracy and completeness of information to facilitate a smooth disability claims process. 

Lay finds satisfaction in helping members with their claim and ensuring that any private or confidential information is properly handled. Disability Claims Administrators play a crucial role in our process, and Lay takes pride in knowing her work positively impacts our members.

Working in Work and Wellness has provided Lay with a deeper understanding of the insurance world, particularly the role of organizations like Pacific Blue Cross. Outside of work, she enjoys creating and performing music, as well as content creation as a video game streamer.