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Do you know about the working caregiver crisis?
It's important, it's real, and it's here
ieadvocates
March 11, 2025
Working Caregivers-The Invisible Employees Newsletter
Brought to you by ieadvocates (invisible employee advocates)
The working caregiver crisis is important, it is real, and it is here.
Thank you for being here!
The need to weather the caregiver crisis storm is upon us.
What is a crisis? When looking up the word crisis using the online Meriam - Webster dictionary, here is what we find:
“1. the turning point for better or worse in an acute disease or fever
2. the decisive moment (as in a literary plot)
3. an unstable or crucial time or state of affairs in which a decisive change is impending
4. a situation that has reached a critical phase”
Looking at definitions #3 and #4 above, they accurately describe the working caregiver crisis. Over the last few years, there have been many articles written and quite a bit of research conducted, to provide ample evidence that a crisis exists. Not only are employees, (who are also unpaid family caregivers) suffering from physical, financial, mental and emotional stress, but they are leaving the workforce. Their exit is fueled by the lack of flexibility and support from their employers and the expense of finding home care to help them care for their family loved one. We share two recent articles in this newsletter to emphasize these issues.
The important aspect of a crisis is that decisions need to be made. There is still time. We hope that by drawing attention to what is happening to working caregivers in the workforce today, critical decisions will be made by employers to create a culture of care and support this significant portion of their employee base.
We also suggest that you pick up a copy of our book Working Caregivers-The Invisible Employees: Six Strategies To Weather The Caregiver Storm In The Workplace to learn more about decisions employers can make today to create their culture of care.
Whether you’re an employer, business manager, HR, or a working caregiver, this newsletter offers valuable insights along with win-win-win simple solutions to help implement meaningful change for organizations, employees who are caregivers, and their care recipients
Table of Contents
In the news:
Latest research, events, and articles that are making an impact for working caregivers and their employers.
Benefits Think: The caregiving crisis is upon us
This is an excellent 4 minute read that does a great job laying out why there is a working caregiver crisis. The author, Amy Friedrich, shares noteworthy research statistics that point to a grave situation by 2030 if something is not done to address this crisis. Friedrich also does a great job of not putting the full responsibility on one single source. She shares (what many working in the care space also believe) that both the U.S. government and employers need to work together to create viable solutions.
Friedrich mentions one potential government solution that already exists which is the Paid Family and Medical Leave legislation. The challenge is that this benefit needs more support, understanding and access so that both employees and employers can leverage effectively.
The other solution that Friedrich shares is “bolstering the caregiver industry.” This needs significant support and focus from the government, motivating businesses to contribute in this industry so that caregivers have support tools and methods to find care for their family loved ones. It also requires participation from employers to support employees in finding, accessing, and affording these tools and resources.
Home Care Workforce Collapse Fuels Corporate Workforce Crisis
In a former career, one of us ran a home care agency for over 13 years and have first hand knowledge of what Carewise Solutions is sharing in this news story. As each year progressed, we witnessed the paid caregiver talent pool shrinking and the care recipient needs exploding. Many times families looking for paid home care were unable to fulfill their needs due to the rising cost, caregiver shortage, or the inability to match the appropriate experienced caregiver to the care recipient’s needs.
Jeannette Galvanek, founder of Carewise Solutions, is not carelessly sounding off alarms. She has data to back up a very convincing business case for employers to consider.
“We lose workers, not to competitors but to unpaid caregiving. Without a legitimate direct care workforce, employers absorb the failures of the care economy. It costs top talent and $36 billion a year.”— Jeannette Galvanek, CEO, CareWise Solutions
Ms. Galvanek shares solutions to this crisis and the return on investment for employers if they implement viable and flexible caregiver support strategies.
“Investing in caregiver support is not merely a compassionate choice; it yields substantial financial returns. Studies have demonstrated how flexible work arrangements and comprehensive caregiving support realize significant returns.” — Jeannette Galvanek, CEO, CareWise Solutions
Did you know? (Read our blog):
Our blog brings you knowledge, personal and researched, to raise your awareness and empathy about working caregivers and caregiving.
Male Family Caregivers on the Rise (Blog 3/11/25)
Did you know that 40% (approximately 16 million) of the family caregivers in this country are men? It’s true. Although females still compose the majority (60%), the number of men involved in family caregiving has increased. In a previous blog in 2024, we covered the role of older women as family caregivers and their invaluable contributions toward helping to stabilize the care economy. We promised you that we would highlight the contributions of male caregivers in a later blog.
So, gentlemen, this one’s for you! In this blog we aim to spotlight the significant roles of husbands, sons, brothers, partners, friends, sons-in-law, grandsons and other men who are rising to meet the challenges of providing unpaid, family care to their loved ones. Keep in mind as you read this blog, gender aside, the work performed by all unpaid caregivers is vital to the stability of the care economy and critical in helping to maintain our family communities.
People and Companies In the spotlight:
Our podcast puts a spotlight on guests who are making a significant difference in the working caregiver space.
Episode 13: Balancing Work and Caregiving: A Conversation with Dr. Donna Benton
Caregiving doesn’t just happen at home—it happens at work, too. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Donna Benton, the Director of the Family Caregiver Support Center at the University of Southern California, to discuss the often-overlooked challenges faced by working caregivers. With over 28 years of experience, Dr. Benton shares invaluable insights on how workplaces can better support employees who are juggling their careers and caregiving responsibilities. Zack challenges podcast listeners as to who will be the first HR leader to reach out to Dr. Benton and inquire about an educational program for their organization.
Donna Benton. Ph.D, is a Research Associate Professor of Gerontology and Director of the Family Caregiver Support Center at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. She is a member of the CA Coalition on Family Caregiving, Work Family coalition and the Elder Justice Coalition and continues to work on the CA Master Plan of Aging. She has worked in the field of aging for over 30 years. Her volunteer experience with the Gray Panthers in high school inspired her career as an advocate for improving how we all view the natural process of aging. She is committed to promoting collaborative partnerships that enhance service delivery for families caring for older adults with long-term memory and health problems.
Stories From Real Working Caregivers:
Actual working caregivers share their stories.
“…in my career, I was really very fortunate. I had a boss who was unbelievably supportive at the time because I was still working for a corporation at that point in time. And he said, “Look, your family comes first. You got to do what you do. We'll do our best. I'll do my best to cover for you”
Todd Keitz has been a lifelong social good evangelist – and caregiver! He has woven community engagement and social impact into his life since he was a teenager volunteering in senior living centers, and started caregiving at the age of 9 when an ill uncle came to live with his family. In 2018, he relocated to Florida to become primary caregiver and patient advocate for his mom and dad – each with life threatening diseases. During those experiences, Todd saw first-hand the many challenges all caregivers and patient advocates face. That led him to create My Care Friends, a unique website for caregivers and patient advocates to connect and support each other. Additionally, Todd currently serves on the National Advisory Council of the American Association of Caregiving Youth, which brings greater awareness to the needs of over 5.4 million caregiving youth in the U.S. He also sits on the board of SayAh! - a NYC-based nonprofit focused on improving health literacy across the U.S. In addition to all of this, he somehow finds time to help people and employers in many industries as Founder/CEO of 17 Commerce, which leads the U.S. Business Unit of Magic Horizons’ scientifically-based VR for Relaxation. Through this role, Todd works with customers such as Mayo Clinic on improving staff wellbeing, U.S. Veterans Administration to ease Veterans’ stress and anxiety, and other organizations to enhance mental and overall health.
Todd and My Care Friends is launching their newest series of programs, called Hope in Aging and Dementia. The series will kick off on March 24th at the University of Denver, with a LIVE in-person screening of the film Keys Bags Names Words: Hope in Aging and Dementia - a film made possible by The Global Brain Health Institute. You can get tickets here. Here is the trailer.
“I'm 100% behind that [putting “caregiver” as a role in your LinkedIn profile and listing transferable skills]. I believe in that with all my heart… the first program that MyCareFriends did, and this was a month after we launched as an online platform for caregivers and advocates, we were asked to do a webinar for a regional law firm on the East Coast… And we did this webinar, and it was a lot on this topic. It's about being employed caregivers, how can employers support caregivers better, and what is it about the caregiver job? There are so many transferable skills. One can argue, even better than a lot of other candidates… what you've got to do, what you've got to juggle, and the intensity and the stress you're operating under and dealing with. ”
Recommended media content:
We explore and share with you diverse media illuminating the dynamics and narratives within the care economy - from insightful podcasts to thought-provoking books and engaging videos.
PODCASTS
Jerri McElroy is a full time in home dementia family caregiver and a Caring Across Generations Fellow. She is passionate about care advocacy and created first care for me to encourage family caregivers to prioritize self preservation for their own health and well being. Jerry is a published author, artist, minister, and also a Daughterhood circle leader. Aisha Adkins is an Atlanta based family caregiver, founder, writer, thought leader, speaker and organizer, who is passionate about building an equitable, inclusive and comprehensive public health and care infrastructure using media, storytelling, culture and policy change. She is committed to making an impact across the country for unpaid caregivers of color through her new venture, Caregivers of Color Collective.
This episode dives deep into the challenges faced by marginalized caregivers, sharing powerful insights into their experiences within the healthcare system and family dynamics. It also tackles critical issues like generational trauma, the vital role of allyship and much more.
VIDEOS
WFMJ interviews Stacey Watson, SR VP of Life Event Planning, Fidelity Investments. Stacey shares misconceptions about caregiving such as “time is on your side”. Typically caregivers play catch up if they don’t start planning now including things like building your support network, developing a family communication plan, and identifying government resources and benefits that may be available. She also shares how caregivers feel more isolated due to the pandemic. Caregiver are also reluctant to ask for help.
BOOKS
We recently reviewed this book and enjoyed it so much. It is well written and illustrated! And excellent to share with all ages. Now I Care for You highlights the emotional transition from the role of a child to the role of a caretaker for their parents. This book honors the love and care a parent gives a child and the swapping of roles that happens as we get older. Now I Care for You is a thank-you to parents for what they have done for their children, and it is a reminder that they are not alone because love is the most beautiful thing in this journey called life.
We want to thank Donna Spin who took the time to read our book and provide a thoughtful review!
It is wonderful to know that there are people who notice, understand, and support the role of a caregiver. If you are currently in such a role, give it a read.
Order your copy of Working Caregivers-The Invisible Employees book here. If you want to order a quantity of books for your leadership team and employees, contact us directly about discount pricing.
Order Working Caregivers-The Invisible Employees Book here
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