The Hidden Cost of Caregiving and Why Employers Must Pay Attention

What happens when an employee walks into work as a professional and leaves that afternoon as a caregiver? For millions of Americans, caring for aging parents or loved ones arrives without warning. Yet many businesses remain unprepared for the emotional, financial, and professional challenges their employees face. In this episode of Adrienne Barker Speaks: No Prep Needed, Adrienne welcomes Scot Cheben, author of Eldercare: Helping Businesses Support Employees Who Are Caregivers, entrepreneur, and eldercare advocate. Scot shares his remarkable journey from military aviation and working on Air Force One to becoming a caregiver for his father and later his wife during her battle with pancreatic cancer. His experiences revealed a significant workplace challenge: employers often recognize the importance of supporting working parents but overlook employees caring for aging family members. Adrienne and Scot explore why eldercare should be part of every company's employee-support strategy and how businesses can prepare before a caregiving emergency disrupts an employee's life. Their conversation also examines financial sacrifices, caregiver burnout, senior safety, scams targeting older adults, and the importance of preserving dignity and independence as people age. In this episode, discover: Why caregiving often begins before people recognize themselves as caregivers. How family caregiving can impact employment, income, and retirement security. Why HR departments need practical eldercare resources. How businesses can prepare for unexpected employee absences. The difference between home care and home health care. Why older adults are particularly vulnerable to financial exploitation. How families can protect loved ones from increasingly sophisticated scams. Why communities should consider emergency registries for vulnerable residents. How proactive planning benefits employees, employers, and families. One of the most important messages from this conversation is simple: caregiving should never leave employees feeling that they must choose between their careers and their families. Whether you're a business owner, HR professional, family caregiver, or someone preparing for the realities of aging, this conversation offers insight, compassion, and practical ideas. Connect with Scot Cheben Connect on LinkedIn Visit Scot's website Book: Eldercare: Helping Businesses Support Employees Who Are Caregivers Additional resource Adrienne also shares StopVerifyProtect.com, a resource designed to help individuals and families recognize scams, verify suspicious communications, and protect themselves from fraud. Listen to Adrienne Barker Speaks: No Prep Needed for conversations that prove the most meaningful discussions don't always need a script. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices