Work-Life Balance No. 4: Caring About Caregiving: The Eldercare Responsibilities of Canadian Workers and the Impact on Employers

By the year 2041, 4 per cent of the population, or a whopping 1.6 million Canadians will be 85-plus. What does this have to do with you as an employer?

Document Highlights

One critical reason to take note of this demographic trend relates to the increasing number of workers who are providing care and assistance to elderly family members and friends. Eldercare is a growing reality for Canadian workers, and leading employers are beginning to pay real attention to the issue.

This report, the final installment of part one of a two-part series, looks at:

• family support;
• who is caring for the elderly family members;
• who is receiving the care;
• the personal costs of caregiving;
• the sandwich generation—those providing support and care to elderly family members while they still have children at home; and
• the impact on employers and what they can do.