Eldercare in the '90s: Employee Responsibility, Employer Challenge

Americans are living longer, but the family members who traditionally care for our elderly—women—now constitute well over half of all new workers. To identify trends in supports offered by employees who are caring for elderly relatives, representatives of 20 employers were interviewed. The interviews revealed that although employers appreciate the burdens of workers with eldercare responsibilities, they have not systematically examined their employees' problems or developed policies to address those needs. Policy implications of these findings are discussed.