More US employees seek caregiver benefits as population ages

Paid leave, flexible schedules, and technology help workers balance jobs and elder care

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

As the U.S. population ages, more than 63 million Americans are providing care for adult family members while also holding down regular paid jobs. Caretaking responsibilities can make it challenging to maintain full-time employment, leading more companies to offer caregiver benefits like paid leave, flexible schedules, and access to support services. Experts say these benefits are growing in popularity to help workers balance their jobs and elder care duties.

Why it matters

The aging U.S. population is creating a growing need for elder care, which can significantly impact employees' ability to maintain their jobs. Providing caregiver benefits helps employers retain valuable workers and avoid productivity losses, while also supporting employees who are struggling to manage work and family responsibilities.

The details

More than 63 million Americans provide care for an adult family member, and most of them have regular paid jobs as well. Caretaking can make holding down a full-time job difficult, especially for those caring for older adults and raising children simultaneously. The average caregiver spends about 6 hours per day caring for aging loved ones. While the Family and Medical Leave Act provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave, more than a dozen states now mandate some form of paid leave for caregiving. To meet this growing demand, some companies are offering a variety of caregiver benefits including flexible scheduling, remote work options, and access to resources like care concierges.

  • The U.S. population is aging, with the number of Americans providing elder care continuing to rise.
  • The Family and Medical Leave Act has provided up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave since it was enacted.

The players

Debra Whitman

Chief public policy officer at AARP, who utilized her employer's paid caregiving leave benefit.

Meghan Shea

Vice president at New York Life Group Benefit Solutions, which provides life insurance and helps administer leaves of absence for employers.

Meghan Pistritto

Vice president in Prudential Financial's group insurance division.

Susan Hammond

Caregiver for her mother with dementia, who uses technology to monitor her mother's safety while working.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Instead of having to take all my vacation, I could take several days of caregiving leave while I was out there. That's been a huge godsend for a lot of my staff.”

— Debra Whitman, Chief public policy officer, AARP (The Hour)

“The challenge is that leave isn't unlimited. The average caregiving role spans about six years. So really, it's a life change for these employees, and they need to figure out how to balance responsibilities in a new way, and that's very stressful.”

— Meghan Shea, Vice president, New York Life Group Benefit Solutions (The Hour)

“Caregiving is a reality for a significant portion of the workforce. The positive news is that employers are stepping up and they're supporting their teams here. We're seeing a lot of growth both in the employer-provided as well as in state-mandated paid leave programs that are showing up across the U.S.”

— Meghan Pistritto, Vice president, Prudential Financial's group insurance division (The Hour)

What’s next

As the U.S. population continues to age, more states are expected to pass legislation mandating paid caregiver leave, and more employers are likely to offer expanded benefits to support their workers with elder care responsibilities.

The takeaway

Providing caregiver benefits like paid leave, flexible schedules, and access to support services is becoming an important way for employers to retain valuable workers and avoid productivity losses as the need for elder care continues to grow across the country.