Relocation may begin with an employee, but it rarely affects only one person. Family dynamics, daily routines, and caregiving responsibilities all travel with them. And when those pieces feel unsettled, even the best-planned move can become more complicated.

That’s the focus of our Family Affair series, developed from an in-depth study by our Advisory Services team into the family factors that shape the relocation experience and influence assignment success.Because relocation is never just about moving one employee from one place to another—it’s also about helping families settle into new routines, navigate local services, build support systems, and manage the everyday logistics that come with a major life change.

In Part 1 of this blog series, we focused on childcare. Now we’re fast-forwarding a few generations to another family consideration that can significantly influence relocation decisions: elder care.

By 2035, 78 million Americans will be 65+, driving demand for employer-supported elder care, according to the US Census Bureau.

As multi-generational households grow and more employees feel the squeeze of the sandwich generation, elder care is becoming harder for mobility programs to overlook. When relocation reluctance is already high, failing to address these needs can add stress for employees and strain talent strategy. Here’s why elder-care support matters—and how forward-thinking companies are rethinking what it can look like.

The Geography of Elder Support

Multi-generational living varies widely by region, shaped by culture, economics, and social safety nets. In North America and much of Europe, it remains relatively less common, though it is rising steadily in the U.S., where about 18% of the population lives in a multi-generational household.

In Latin America and APAC, the pattern is more established: roughly 25%–35% of households in Latin America and 30%–50% or more in many Asian countries include multiple generations, particularly in South and Southeast Asia.

At the same time, aging populations and evolving household structures are making elder care harder to ignore in relocation planning:

  • By 2030, adults aged 65+ will outnumber children in the U.S., while the 85+ population—the group most likely to need hands-on care—is growing fastest.
  • In many developed countries, fewer families live with older relatives, so caregivers often depend on local care networks—making relocation harder to manage.
  • Nearly 48 million Americans provide adult care, and 61% are employed, meaning many relocation-eligible employees may already be balancing work and caregiving.

For many employees, caregiving is an ongoing responsibility. SHRM reports that 80% of caregivers provide long-term care, yet only 35% of HR leaders say their organizations effectively support those needs.

The Numbers Behind the Mobility Need

Traditional relocation packages are often designed around housing, household goods, and school search. But for many mid-career and senior employees, elder care can be an equally important decision driver—and one that is not always addressed directly in policy.

In the Atlas Corporate Relocation Survey, 34–40% of companies report employees declined relocation due to family issues or ties, a category that mobility providers confirm increasingly includes elder‑care responsibilities.

Destination service providers estimate that elder-care assistance is still treated as a “special request” or executive-level exception in most U.S. domestic relocation policies, rather than a standard benefit available to a broader employee population.

That aligns with broader HR research showing that only 36% of organizations equip people managers with resources to support caregivers. This signals that structured elder-care support remains uncommon across many HR programs, including mobility.

When elder care is supported in mobility programs, it most often appears as:

  • Referral-based destination services
  • Ad hoc reimbursement
  • Executive or critical-talent accommodations, rather than a formal, published policy element.

What Thoughtful Elder-Care Support Looks Like

The strongest programs are not necessarily those with the richest reimbursements. They are the ones that recognize elder care early, connect employees with credible resources, and offer flexibility when family needs do not fit neatly into a standard policy box.

  • Identify elder-care needs early: Include elder-care considerations in mobility needs assessments, alongside spouse/partner, dependent, schooling, and other family-related questions.
  • Integrate support into destination services: Consider local elder-care landscape briefings, referrals to state or national resources, and optional coordination of facility tours or care-provider consultations during advance trips.
  • Offer flexibility rather than rigid entitlements: Use relocation lump sums or family assistance allowances to help employees address temporary elder-care coverage during the transition, source in-home or facility-based care options, or cover initial assessment and placement fees.

“Supporting elderly parents in mobility introduces a multi-layered compliance burden, with immigration feasibility, healthcare access, and tax exposure as the most critical risks. Because parents are not universally recognized as dependents, organizations must manage these situations in a way that balances employee needs with regulatory constraints and duty-of-care obligations.”

  • Laura Levenson, Advisory Services Practice Leader

As mobility programs continue to evolve, elder care deserves a more intentional place in the conversation. Stay tuned for more in our Family Affair series, where we’ll explore additional ways organizations can support relocating families—including spouse and partner assistance and pet support.ms can support relocating families—including spouse and partner assistance, elder care, and pet support.

Hungry for even more recommendations on elder care or family wellbeing support for your mobile talent? Connect with our team.