As the founder, chair, and CEO of the Exceptional Women Alliance, I have the privilege of connecting with remarkable female leaders across various fields. Recently, I discussed a critical yet often overlooked workforce issue with Shari Hofer: eldercare.
For many organizations, caregiving remains a private struggle employees manage quietly alongside their jobs. The 2025 Caregiving in the US report by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving reveals that nearly 63 million Americans provide family care, including almost 48 million who offer unpaid care to adults. Economically, this unpaid care is valued at over $600 billion annually. Today’s professionals juggle leading teams, raising families, and caring for aging parents, creating an invisible force influencing performance, retention, and leadership quality.
Shari Hofer, coauthor of “With Love: A Practical Guide for Caregiving for Aging Parents Through End of Life,” draws from personal experience managing caregiving for parents with dementia and Parkinson’s alongside global careers. Her insights emphasize that caregiving is not just a private matter but a fundamental leadership and organizational issue.
From personal stories of burnout and reliance on teams to lessons on trust, delegation, and redefining performance, Hofer highlights the need for leadership models that recognize the realities of caregiving. She stresses the importance of normalizing conversations around employee capacity, creating empathetic workplace cultures, and aligning values with daily behaviors—not just policies.
Ignoring caregiving responsibilities is no longer an option if organizations want to avoid rising burnout and talent loss. Those that embrace this challenge will cultivate stronger, more resilient, and humane workplaces. Eldercare is shaping today’s workforce, and leaders who understand this will pave the way for future success.
— Larraine Segil, Founder, Chair, and CEO of The Exceptional Women Alliance.
