Model program aids working caregivers.

A new program to aid working caregivers has taken hold at several Midwestern companies.

St. Andrew's Resources for Seniors, a nonprofit Episcopal-Presbyterian organization in St. Louis, offers the "caring workplace" program to employers that want to assist caregivers in their workforce.

Caregiving demands can cause lost productivity for employers and reduced quality of life for caregivers. That costs American employers nearly $29 billion each year, according to estimates from St. Andrew's.

Caregiving also creates considerable stress for employees