Eldercare—the leadership crisis no one is talking about |
04-16-2026IMPACT COUNCIL
Eldercare—the leadership crisis no one is talking about
The invisible workforce taking care of family members impacts organizations, even if the organization doesn’t realize it.
[Photo: Getty Images]
The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of top leaders and experts who pay dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership, and more.
As founder, chair, and CEO of the Exceptional Women Alliance, I am privileged to engage with extraordinary female leaders across industries. This month, I spoke with Shari Hofer about a workforce issue hiding in plain sight: eldercare.
For many organizations, caregiving is still viewed as something employees manage quietly outside of work. According to the 2025 Caregiving in the US report, released by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, approximately 63 million Americans provide family care, with almost 48 million providing unpaid care to adults. The 2021 AARP report estimated that the economic value of care was over $600 billion annually. Today, these professionals are simultaneously leading teams, raising families, and caring for aging parents. The result is an invisible workforce dynamic that is already impacting performance, retention, and leadership effectiveness.
Hofer wrote With Love: A Practical Guide for Caregiving for Aging Parents Through End of Life with coauthor Shabnam Kazmi. Both built demanding global careers while raising families and caring........