The Cost of Silence: Why Long-Term Care Belongs in Workplace Conversations 

Summary 

Employees are quietly managing caregiving and costs every day. Starting the conversation helps them prepare and helps employers build a healthier, more resilient culture. 

Topics like health insurance, mental health, financial wellness, and work-life balance are common workplace conversation starters. But when it comes to caregiving or long-term care (LTC), the conversation usually stops. In fact , 92% of people know that talking to their loved ones about long-term care is important, but only 32% have actually done it.  

Any silence on this issue creates emotional strain, financial pressure, and ripple effects across the entire organization.

Why do we avoid talking about long-term care? 

This topic can make people uncomfortable because it means acknowledging that they, or someone they love, will eventually face physical or cognitive decline. It’s easier to push that thought aside, saying “I’ll deal with it later,” or assuming it’s something only retirees need to think about.  

The stats, however, show that LTC is more common than people think: 

• People 65 and over have a 70% chance of needing some type of long-term care.  

• 1 in 10 people ages 40-50 have a disability requiring long-term care.  

• 20% of 65-year-olds may need long-term care for longer than five years.  

• Almost half of older adults will pay for long-term care at some point during their lives. 

• People with chronic diseases are more likely to need long-term care.  

If employers and leaders avoid the topic, they may be unsure of where it fits: 

• Is it a benefits issue? 

• A personal one? 

• Something HR should address? 

• Something employees should handle privately? 

When employees push the conversation aside or employers and leaders don’t address it, the quiet lingers. And in that quiet, employees can struggle through some of the hardest challenges of their lives, feeling like they have to manage everything alone. 

What is the hidden business impact? 

If employees take on caregiving responsibilities or face unexpected costs, the impact often shows up in the workplace through missed workdays, mental exhaustion, disengagement, and stress. Productivity drops. Absenteeism rises, and some employees eventually leave altogether. 

People under constant stress can’t perform at their best, and caregiving without support makes that stress heavier. 

The business impact of LTC can appear through lost time, increased healthcare use, or emotional fatigue that spreads through teams. Employers see the symptoms but rarely identify the cause because it isn’t part of the benefits conversation. 

Long-term care opportunities for employers and advisors 

LTC affects how employees show up, how they use their benefits, and how supported they feel at work. Forward-thinking employers are beginning to treat long-term care the same way they approach mental health: something to talk about, plan for, and support without stigma or shame. 

Here’s how the conversation can be approached:  

• Acknowledge that caregiving and aging are part of life. Add a question in your annual well-being survey or leadership check-ins to understand how many employees are managing care responsibilities. 

• Provide resources that help employees understand care options, costs, and planning steps. Include links in your benefits guide or HR portal to caregiving education, financial tools, or advisor-led sessions. 

• Encourage financial planning that includes long-term care. Talk about LTC planning in annual enrollment or financial wellness sessions, alongside retirement and savings education. 

• Offer flexibility and understanding for employees in caregiving roles. Include a caregiving section in your leave policy or create a form employees can use to request short-term flexibility without penalty. 

Preparing for the LTC conversation 

The more people talk about long-term care with empathy and foresight, the less intimidating it becomes. Bringing the topic out into the open helps employees and employers plan with confidence instead of reacting in crisis. 

Silence protects no one. Conversation builds trust and creates opportunities to prepare early and make thoughtful choices before people are forced to. 

Ask your benefits advisor how your organization can address LTC as part of your overall well-being strategy. The first step in any strategy is being willing to talk about it in the first place. 

Content published by Q4intelligence

Photo by Gorodenkoff