Ways and Wane

By 2030, nearly 20% of people in the U.S. will be 65 or older, and more than half of working parents rely on outside care for their elderly parents or children. As one caregiver in the video puts it, “If they keep driving away the workforce, who will be left to care for our seniors?” More employees will need support in finding appropriate care for their family members so that they can continue to work. Source: The New York Times, March 2025 https://lnkd.in/ePB3mFy2

“When some people are cheering these really aggressive anti-immigration policies, they may not be thinking that they mean a higher chance that their parents or grandparents might have a problematic fall,” Harris told USA TODAY. “This is not an obvious connection, but it’s established by the research.” “If there are no folks here to take care of our loved ones, that means folks are going to have to choose: Do I go to work? Do I stay home with my aging parents?” Verrett said. “Families are going to have to make real tough choices at a time where it’s already so hard for families to make ends meet.” Source: USA Today, March 2025 https://lnkd.in/ebePwTBf

But women become caregivers, on average, at around age 52 — and that’s a critical period in the lead up to retirement. As Brady notes in her study, which examines women’s employment patterns when they first transition into caregiving, it’s not that women tend to quit their jobs or cut back their hours. It’s more like they slowly lose financial ground, at the very moment when there should be a series of gains. “What I found is that, in the transition into parental caregiving, women’s wages tend to stagnate relative to non-caregivers,” Brady said in an interview. “It may be they’re not pushing for the raise or the promotion — or they may be passed over, owing to the stigma around caregiving. “But this transition often occurs at midlife, when a lot of women are at their peak earning years, and it can have a significant impact on their long-term financial security.” Employers can retain their diverse talent pool by offering a caregiving benefit to support employees juggling career and eldercare. Source: Kiplinger, March 2025 https://lnkd.in/gdDPqfez

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By 2060, the United States is projected to see one million new dementia cases annually, with a staggering 42% lifetime risk of dementia for Americans over 55. Dr. Josef Coresh from NYU Langone warns of a "dramatic rise in the burden from dementia," underscoring the critical need for employers to support employees caring for aging family members. When we create workplace cultures that understand the complex realities of caregiving, supporting hearing tests, preventing chronic conditions, and recognizing the cognitive health of our aging workforce, we help our people and our communities thrive. Source: NYU Langone Health, January 2025 https://lnkd.in/eUbu9Hgt

Caregiving responsibilities have surged dramatically in the last decade, with Johns Hopkins researchers finding the number of family caregivers supporting older adults increased by 32% between 2011 and 2022. The average weekly care hours jumped nearly 50% to 31 hours per week, creating significant challenges for employees juggling work and family responsibilities. "Our results show remarkable stability in caregiving experiences, even as the number of caregivers has increased significantly," notes Jennifer L. Wolff, revealing how your workforce is silently shouldering an invisible second job that will only grow as our population ages. Source: Consumer Affairs, February 2025 https://lnkd.in/dYnsAKk8

Did you miss these benefits articles from Benefits Pro, the American Heart Association and employer Fisher Price? They address sandwich generation employees and their pressing benefit needs.

Nearly 70% of "sandwich generation" caregivers juggle full-time jobs while spending over 77 hours monthly caring for aging parents AND raising children. When a child tells their working mother "I just don't feel like I have a mom anymore" - as happened to Becky Engram while she balanced caring for her father's heart condition with raising her sons - it's a wake-up call for employers to recognize that comprehensive care support isn't a perk, it's a business imperative. Companies that fail to support their caregiving employees through flexible work arrangements and care benefits are leaving an estimated 2.5-11 million American workers to navigate an impossible balancing act alone, impacting both productivity and retention. Source: American Heart Association News, February 2025 https://lnkd.in/eTRUMv4K

The staggering reality is that 25% of Americans are part of the "sandwich generation" - simultaneously caring for children while supporting aging parents, with that number set to grow as 73 million Americans will be 65+ by 2030. For employees juggling multiple caregiving duties, daily tasks pile up quickly: "managing numerous activities on a daily or weekly basis for their children and aging parents in addition to their work responsibilities and self-care needs" - from coordinating medical appointments to managing finances to ensuring personal care needs are met. Supporting these employees with childcare and eldercare benefits isn't just compassionate - it's critical for preventing burnout and maintaining a stable, productive workforce. Source: Fisher Phillips, February 2025 https://lnkd.in/gzquQAnY