Who’s Caring for the Caregivers? Benefits to Address a Growing Need

From arranging transportation to scheduling doctor visits, caregivers face a myriad of challenges. According to a new survey of 350 working caregivers conducted by Health Advocate, a Pennsylvania-based health and patient advocacy and assistance company, nearly all respondents (90%) reported spending at least 10 hours per week on caregiving tasks, and 50% indicated they spend 20 or more hours.

In addition, the 2024 University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging found more than 1 in 4 Americans 50 or older are now caregivers, looking after at least one family member or friend who has a health problem or disability.

Employers can help lighten the load by providing working caregivers relevant benefits, which may prove crucial for workforce retention, well-being and recruitment — and the organization’s bottom line.

“[Given the prevalence and the commitment,] there’s never been a more critically important time to assess which benefits and services will best assist those employees who are caring for others — and also address their own mental health and financial stability,” said Lisa Wolf, director of culture and people at ARAG Legal Insurance.

In fact, WorldatWork’s 2024 Total Rewards Inventory of Programs and Practices showed more employees are providing several caregiving programs, such as unpaid medical or caregiver leave and remote work. And according to Mercer’s Survey on Health and Benefits Strategies for 2025, more employers are exploring caregiving benefits and resources, such as onsite childcare and elder care referral and consultations.

This article shares insights on how organizations can better support this growing workforce by providing impactful caregiving benefits.

Caregiving Challenges

According to respondents in the Health Advocate survey, top caregiving responsibilities include:

Performing household tasks (77%)
Administering medications and managing medical appointments (74%)
Preparing meals and assisting with feeding (71%)
Assisting with personal care (68%)
Coordinating health care services and communicating with providers (67%)

Nearly three-quarters (70%) rated their caregiver burden during the past two weeks a 5 or higher on a scale of 1 (mild) to 10 (substantial). The survey also reported at-home duties also carry over to the office, as 55% of the respondents used paid time off (PTO) to manage caregiving responsibilities and 40% reported missing two or more days of work.

Balancing work and caregiving duties also may impact physical and mental well-being. A Guardian Life Insurance report found 41% of caregivers reported low overall well-being — 10 percentage points higher than non-caregivers. Almost half (47%) of caregivers have experienced increased anxiety, depression or other mental health issues in the past year — 62% more than non-caregivers.

“When [caregivers] are in the trenches of providing care day in and day out, they realize that many times they aren’t giving 100% to their employer,” Wolf said. “They’re distracted by the commitments, the errands that need to be run and, frankly, the guilt of possibly not providing adequate care. For many, they aren’t able to manage the competing demands of their caregiving role and professional responsibilities, yet they have little choice because they still have financial and family obligations.”

Offering Caregiving Support

Caregiving benefits need to be flexible enough to match the fluidity of a caregiver’s busy work week, along with the challenges at home, Wolf said, but at the same time, benefits should be rich enough to offer real solutions. Such offerings may include things like facility referrals, community and medical networks, and trusted industry expertise to provide legal, financial and mental health guidance.

In the Health Advocate survey, respondents indicated they would find the following services valuable if offered by their employer:

Access to nurse support (66%)
Mental and emotional counseling (59%)
Access to experts for assistance navigating benefits, billing, claims and more (50%)
Resources to locate care services, facilities and equipment (42%)
A nurse’s virtual attendance at all provider visits with care recipients (35%)
Legal and/or financial support (35%)
Interpretation services at medical appointments (15%)

Of those working caregivers surveyed, 90% said these services would improve their quality of life, leading to improved productivity at work and well-being.

Employers are exploring care benefits directed to distinct constituencies, such as parents of small children, older workers caring for parents or younger workers caring for pets, said Gage Stille, national solutions leader and senior vice president of corporate health practice at HR consulting firm Segal.

“Employers need to decide what care benefits to prioritize based on their understanding of their workforce,” he explained. “They need to consider that the communities where workers live affect what caregiving approaches will work best because resources and environments will differ.”

Thinking outside the box is another strategy in determining effective caregiving benefits.

“Brainstorm creative ways to offer additional support, [such as] a lifestyle spending account, which allows employees the flexibility to pay for caregiving-related expenses that aren’t covered by traditional benefits,” Wolf said.

Filling gaps in existing benefit programs can also support caregivers, Wolf noted. For instance, employers can help caregivers who are unprepared to manage the financial challenges and legal red tape that come with their role. Such solutions, Wolf said, include offering financial education services or legal insurance that ensure caregivers have the financial structures and necessary legal documents so they can make decisions on their loved ones’ behalf.

Additionally, TR professionals should effectively communicate the types of benefits and value of caregiving benefits offered. Stille said this may include creating a digital guide for each specific caregiving need, developing a microsite that holds all the guides and benefits program provider details, and delivering targeted campaigns.

“By consolidating benefits program provider materials into packages and creating [supportive] environments for parents and caregivers to learn [and ask questions] about what’s being offered, employers can help maximize caregivers’ use of benefits,” Stille said.

Editor’s Note: Additional Content

For more information and resources related to this article, see the pages below, which offer quick access to all WorldatWork content on these topics: