Today, more than seven million Americans look after an aging parent or relative. Employers don't often see, affirm or understand the monetary, mental, and physical stress involved in negotiating the demands of home and work. Several studies since the middle 1990's have shown that employers are slowly realizing that productivity is affected by failing to provide eldercare resources. The most common approach to assistance is resource and referral programs. Employee assistance programs can be offered to coordinate and assist in the development and procurement of eldercare services.
Some employers make in-home assessment available to their employees.
The City of Scottsdale, Arizona has a comprehensive eldercare program in which a certified independent social worker will go to the home of an employee's elder relative to assess the situation and recommend resources. This helps the employee to determine whether or not the relative can continue to live alone and what services might be necessary to continue to do so, as well as the cost of such services. The eldercare program provides this service to all employees at no cost, regardless of whether the elder relative lives in the Scottsdale area or elsewhere. The idea was for universities to create a family-friendly campus. Since then, some progress has been made.