Why lifespan caregiving is reshaping the workforce

Summary

The outcome of the bonus years we are experiencing living into our 90s and even 100s, is that lifespans do not typically match healthspans and many will need care starting in their 60s and 70s.

This longevity is impacting our modern workplaces, where up to five generations may work side-by-side. Whether it is full-time in a “9 to 5” office setting or hourly employees who may be part-time or seasonal hires, there is one thing all employees have in common: caregiving.

The many ways employees become caregivers speaks to the diversity of human relationships: parent caring for a child, spouse caring for a spouse, sibling caring for sibling, adult child caring for an older parent, in-law or grandparent. It is called “lifespan caregiving”–or as I termed it in my recent book “the era of Gen C: Generation Caregiver”–and it reinforces that caregiving can be a constant thread that happens at different stages throughout life.

In fact, many employees may have overlapping caregiver responsibilities, such as the Sandwich Generation caring for children and older parents at the same time; or there is concurrent caregiving where an employees cares an older parent for 5 years, then maybe a in-law for 7 years, then a spouse for 4 years–a total of 16 years that can make the average caregiver journey of 4.5 years stretch into a 20+ year marathon of care. Even if just caring for one person–for instance, an older parent–the care responsibilities change and increase in intensity and cost over time.