Work-Life offers 15 days of Backup Adult and Senior Care through Care.com. This benefit delivers in-home care and support across the U.S., including:
- light meal preparation and light housekeeping
- medication prompting
- assistance with bathing and dressing
- companionship
- specialized support for Alzheimer's and dementia
Care is provided through professional homecare agencies, which have been vetted by Care.com Backup Care Specialists, and is available 24/7 to you or a loved one. Care can be provided either in your home or in the home of the adult or senior in need of care. Learn more about your Backup Adult and Senior Care benefit.
Eligibility
Backup adult and senior care is available to current, benefits-eligible staff, faculty, postdoc associates, postdoc fellows, and family members. You may request up to 15 total combined Backup Adult and Senior Care and Backup Child Care referrals per fiscal year.
Your account dashboard will show the number of days used and remaining, but you are responsible for ensuring that you do not exceed your benefit. All requests, or changes to requests, must be communicated directly to Care.com.
Costs of care
You are responsible for paying the hourly cost of the adult caregiver, which is currently $8.00 per hour in Massachusetts (this cost may vary slightly if care is provided out-of-state), with a minimum of 4 hours per day and a maximum of 10 hours per day.
If you utilize Backup Adult and Senior Care for transportation to a doctor's appointment, you may be charged mileage fees and/or parking and toll fees, separate from your co-pay. In such cases, you will be advised of the additional costs.
Your credit card will be charged for the care provided at the end of service.
Cancellation policy:
Your credit card will be charged a $30 cancellation fee if a Backup Care request is cancelled within 72 hours of the reservation start time and a provider has already been reserved to fulfill your request. Additionally, if the cancellation occurs within 24 hours of the reservation start time, one day will also be deducted from your Backup Care balance.
How to register and request care
Step 1: Visit mit.care.com and register for your Care.com benefits by completing the enrollment form.
Step 2: Contact a Care.com Backup Adult and Senior Care Specialist at 866-228-2965 x 1, during regular business hours (Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. EST) to schedule care.
When speaking with your Backup Adult and Senior Care Specialist:
- Identify yourself as an MIT employee (includes staff, faculty, and postdoc associates) or postdoctoral fellow.
- Provide a brief overview of your (or your loved one's) situation and care needs.
- Your Backup Adult and Senior Care Specialist will then try to identify an agency that meets your (or your loved one's) specific needs, and that agency will contact you to finalize arrangements.
- Please note, due to the unique care needs associated with Backup Adult and Senior Care, an in-home assessment may be required prior to finalizing care arrangements. In these cases, Care.com will locate an agency to complete an assessment, but please be advised that this may delay the confirmation of your backup care reservation.
After you place your request, Care.com will provide you with a timeframe for updates, including their final update on your caregiver search. If you have a deadline by which you must know that a caregiver has been secured for your requested date(s), please let Care.com know by calling 866-228-2965 x 1.
Additional Adult and Senior Care Resources
Adult and senior care advising
Adult and Senior Care Advising through Care.com provides you and your family members with ongoing advice and guidance from master's level social workers, who specialize in helping families navigate their caregiving challenges.
Caring for Aging Parents seminar series
The "Caring for Aging Parents...What Worries You the Most?" seminar series from Work-Life offers practical information and research-based strategies that will help you navigate your caregiving journey.
Caregiver Newsletter
MIT MyLife Services grief counseling
Grief and bereavement counseling is available at no cost to MIT staff, faculty, postdocs, and their household members, through MIT MyLife Services.
Employee leaves
MIT employees may be able to take paid leave to care for a family member with a serious health condition. Learn about employee leaves.
