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How many spousal caregivers work in your organization?
Almost one out of every five caregivers are caring for a spouse...and that should be top of mind for employers.
ieadvocates
April 08, 2025
Working Caregivers-The Invisible Employees Newsletter
Brought to you by ieadvocates (invisible employee advocates)
Welcome to this edition of Working Caregivers -The Invisible Employees newsletter. Thank you for being here!
According to a 2023 Guardian Report, 73% of all employees have some type of current caregiving responsibility. This majority segment of the workplace includes caregivers who are caring for their spouse (18%). Why is this important to employers? A little over half of this group of caregivers are ages 18-64. Nowhere near the typical retirement age. Since caregiving for a spouse can be significantly different from caregiving for another family loved one (e.g., higher intensity, longer duration, higher financial cost), spousal caregivers can be more at risk of leaving their employer if they cannot get the support they need.
In this issue, we turn the spotlight on the invaluable role of spousal caregivers – caregivers who are often taken for granted, their daily contributions relegated into the shadows of the care journey. A journey of love, challenges, and overwhelming responsibilities, this path is not an easy one to maneuver. Whether you’re caring for a significant other with a disability, chronic disease or age- related illness, the information we share in this issue will help to remind you that you are not alone. It will also raise your awareness so that you may be in a better position as an employer or manager to support a working spousal caregiver.
We will hear directly from individuals who have lived in the spousal caregiver role while dealing with the challenges of having to work. We hope you will appreciate these brave stories that reveal heartfelt challenges and experiences as much as we do. Spousal caregiving has its own unique relationship expectations that can broaden feelings of loneliness and isolation for those involved. This newsletter offers resources to help provide spousal caregivers with the emotional and physical support they need to navigate the journey with kindness and compassion for themselves and their partners. We also hope to raise awareness for those leaders and employers who may not have any experience with this at all.
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.
The Emotional Lives of Caregivers: The Social Gerontology and Health Lab at the Yale School of Public Health explores the emotional dynamics at play when older adults become their spouses’ caregivers
The Social Gerontology and Health Lab, led by Joan Monin, PhD, a psychologist and associate professor at the Yale School of Public Health, has conducted extensive research on the emotional impact and well being of a caregiver when they are caring for their spouse. Dr. Monin is taking this research and creating effective interventions to give spousal caregivers tools to minimize the negative effects. Read the article here
NCFS Caregiver Profile: A Closer Look at Spousal Caregivers
The National Center On Family Support released a brief that analyzes data from two large national datasets to shine a spotlight on spousal caregivers. It is packed with very interesting and valuable statistics and findings which underscore that there are significant differences the impact of caregiving has on a spouse/partner vs. caring for a parent or adult child.
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.
Caregiving for Significant Others -- Significantly Different (Blog 4/8/25)
Most of us might think that caregiving is caregiving. Regardless of who you’re caring for, you encounter the same amount of emotional challenges and provide the same level of care, right? Wrong! In truth, there are notable differences in caring for a significant other or spouse than in caring for other family members such as siblings or parents. This blog highlights some of the key differences caregivers for significant others/spouses often face and discusses the issues that fuel these differences.
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 15: Spousal Caregiving: The Power of Community With The Well Spouse Association and Bob Mastrogiovanni
In this heartfelt and deeply insightful episode, we sit down with Bob Mastrogiovanni, a devoted husband, retired IRS professional, and co-president of the Well Spouse Association. Bob opens up about his powerful caregiving journey for his late wife Kathleen, who battled multiple sclerosis for decades. From the moment of diagnosis just two years into their marriage, Bob shares how their love, resilience, and adaptability helped them navigate the emotional and practical challenges of being a caregiving couple.
Together, we unpack the unique experiences of caregiver spouses—those caring for their life partners—and explore how this journey differs from other types of caregiving. Bob also dives into the vital role the Well Spouse Association plays in offering emotional support, community, and resources to those walking this path. If you're a working caregiver, a spouse currently in a caregiving role, or someone who supports them—this episode is for you. Don’t miss Zack’s challenge to organizations to step up and support the Well Spouse mission!
Stories From Real Working Caregivers:
Actual working caregivers share their stories.
Meet Sue Ryan, a real working caregiver:
“I've been on 11 caregiving journeys. So for a lot of these, the majority of them were while I was still working. And what I did not know in the very beginning was how to manage my time and how to manage my community. And what I learned after I had several caregiving journeys is that we are not on this journey alone. I embraced reaching out to all different people who could be a part of the community of care and where they could provide care, where they could provide support, what they could do...”
Sue Ryan is Founder and Inspirationalist of Sue Ryan Solutions and CoFounder of The Caregiver’s Journey. Her mission is to empower and embolden individuals to maximize the opportunities and potential change will bring. She is a speaker, has done a TEDx Talk, change strategist, author, executive coach, caregiving coach, podcaster and mentor. She guides nonprofessional caregivers to become confident, balanced, and supported in all phases of their caregiving journey. She helps businesses and working family caregivers thrive. She has authored or co-authored six best-selling books, including the International best-selling Our Journey of Love, 5 Steps to Navigate Your Caregiving Journey. She created the award winning online course, The Caregiver’s Journey, to support family caregivers through their entire caregiving journey.
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
“Finally! Practical tips and candid conversations for Alzheimer's and other dementia caregivers” created by Sue Ryan and Nancy Treaster. Tackle common, day-to-day dementia caregiving challenges with more confidence, patience, and peace of mind. Sue Ryan and Nancy Treaster leverage their experiences in a variety of family caregiving roles to help you navigate your journey with fewer surprises and more resources.
VIDEOS
Spousal Caregiving presentation by Laurel Wittman, President & Board Member, Well Spouse Association, and Lakelyn Hogan, Ph.D., Gerontologist & Caregiver Advocate.
Among the tens of millions of family caregivers, about 12% of them are caring for an ill or disabled spouse or partner. Elements of caring for a spouse or partner differ from other types of caregiving relationships. On average, spousal caregivers provide more hours of caregiving, do more intense care-related tasks and do it all with less assistance compared to other types of caregivers. Professionals who understand the nuances of spousal caregiving can be better positioned to help these individuals.
BOOK
The Caregiving Wife's Handbook: Caring for Your Seriously III Husband, Caring for Yourself by Diana B. Denholm Ph.D.
Soon after they married, Diana Denholm’s husband was diagnosed with colon cancer and congestive heart failure, and she became his primary caregiver for more than ten years. Drawing on her work as a therapist, Denholm developed the tools and strategies that she shares in this book. Read it and you will discover that you are not alone, that many of your emotional responses (even the negative ones!) are common and normal and that there are many things you can do to manage and improve your life.
We want to thank Kosta who took the time to read our book and provide a thoughtful review!
“I’m encouraged by this book to have informative conversations with my manager so I can be the best caregiver when I’m called upon. Zack and Selma strike the perfect balance of weaving storytelling and helpful content together.” Kosta.
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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