A guide to complementary medicine for employee-carers

Helping caregivers must become a priority for businesses

“Companies must become aware of the importance of the issue of employee-carers: help is no longer a subject in the private sphere but a priority”explains Delphine Ratouit, human resources manager at La Mutuelle Générale. For good reason, it is estimated that by 2030, one in four employees will have to juggle medical appointments, administrative formalities on behalf of a loved one and their own work. A frantic pace and a notable mental load for these employees who tend to “forget” themselves. “According to our estimates, 80% of them do not consult a doctor while more than half declare that this caregiving situation has negative consequences on their mental and physical health”adds Delphine Ratouit.

Traditional medicines may be insufficient in the face of emotional disorders

Among the most common symptoms among this category of employees are: chronic fatigue, sleep disorders, high stress levels, musculoskeletal pain, a weakening of the immune system, but also emotional exhaustion which can lead to depression. . To relieve them, the Solidarity Observatory of La Mutuelle Générale has published a practical guide dedicated to their health. From sophrology to yoga, including aromatherapy, osteopathy, acupuncture: it lists the vast majority of medicines complementary to conventional medicine.

“We created this guide to address four major recurring issues among employee caregivers: managing emotions, relieving stress, maintaining physical and mental fitness, relaxing your body, underlines Delphine Ratouit. Faced with these multiple difficulties, classical medicine does not always provide a satisfactory answer. » She cites the example of an employee working full-time and caring for her mother, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. “Since taking up yoga and meditation, she told us that she sleeps much better and that her stress level has decreased”says HR.

Improving care for employee-carers

For greater practicality, therapeutic approaches are classified according to their benefits in the guide. Each is accompanied by a quick description and an estimate of the average cost of a session. “It’s up to everyone to find the alternative medicine that best suits their needs and preferences”explains Delphine Ratouit.

In addition, the Solidarity Observatory of La Mutuelle Générale is finalizing a self-assessment questionnaire for the health of employee-carers, carried out in collaboration with the Research Center of the University Institute of Geriatrics of Montreal. A score must be associated with this self-questionnaire to integrate it into occupational medicine tools. “If the primary objective of this questionnaire is to contribute to better management of the health of employee-carers, it also allows occupational medicine to detect a caring situation among certain employees and thus be able to better to accompany “concludes Delphine Ratouit. A first test will be carried out in the coming months, in collaboration with the Inter-company and Artisanal Center for Occupational Health (CIAMT).