When are you actually considered an informal caregiver?
Informal care sounds serious and official. However, you are already an informal caregiver if you provide long-term, unpaid care for a partner, parent, child, or other loved one with an illness, disability, or need for assistance.
It goes beyond helping out with the shopping once in a while. It becomes informal care when the care is structural. When you are the one who takes care of it. When you arrange it.
In the Netherlands, approximately 14% of the population (aged 16 and older) are informal caregivers. This amounts to 2 to 2.5 million people. This is based on people who provide at least 8 hours of intensive care per week or for longer than 3 months. Organizations such as MantelzorgNL show how large this group is. Many of them combine this with a job. Often without colleagues or managers knowing exactly what is going on at home.
Awareness is the first step. Because only when you acknowledge that you are an informal caregiver can you also look at what support suits your situation.
What can you get through your group health insurance?
This is where things often go wrong. Many employees have group health insurance through their employer, but rarely look at the specific reimbursements for informal care.
Yet many supplementary insurance policies offer support. Think of replacement informal care, also known as respite care. This means that someone temporarily takes over the care so that you can recover or simply take a breather.
Some insurers also reimburse an informal care broker. This is someone who helps with the paperwork: applying for assessments, contacting authorities, filling in forms. It is precisely this administrative part that often takes a lot of energy.
In addition, psychological support may be available in cases of overload. Or a course that helps you better cope with the combination of care and work.
What exactly is reimbursed varies per insurer and is usually included in the supplementary insurance. But if you don't look, you won't know what's possible.
What does it cost and does it deliver results?
It is understandable to think that extra help will be expensive. However, in practice, this often turns out to be less of a problem than expected.
More importantly, support can prevent the situation from escalating. It can prevent you from dropping out yourself. It can prevent your income from coming under pressure. Or it can prevent you from ultimately incurring higher healthcare costs because you waited too long.
Seeking help is therefore not a luxury. It is often a wise investment in your own health and stability.
What can you do now?
Start small. Log in to your health insurer's website and look at your supplementary insurance. Search for 'informal care' or 'replacement informal care'. Contact customer service if anything is unclear.
A collective health insurance policy has the advantage that reimbursements are often more extensive than if you take out a policy directly through the health insurer. This may also apply to your informal care reimbursement.
Are you insured through your employer and a customer of Schouten Zekerheid? Then the Zorgdesk can help you understand what is possible within your collective scheme.
Are you encountering limitations at work? Then raise the issue with your manager or the HR department in good time. Don't wait until it's too late, but raise the issue as soon as you notice that things are starting to go wrong.
Information about care leave and legal regulations can also be found on the government website.
Combining work and informal care: you are not alone
Many informal caregivers remain silent for too long. They don't want to be an exception. They don't want to be an extra burden. They don't want to burden their colleagues.
But the reality is that overload is common. And that early support makes the difference between persevering and dropping out.
Informal care is something to be proud of. It shows commitment. Loyalty. Love.
But it should not mean that you lose sight of yourself.
Combining work and care is intensive. Fortunately, you do not have to bear the burden alone. There are arrangements in place. There is support. And there is room for discussion.
Many reimbursements remain unclaimed.
Perhaps it is time to see what is possible for you.
Source figures: Work and Informal Care
