Assisted Living

Assisted Living Over the past few years we have observed a growing trend in the recruiting of senior executives: Portable executives–who, in the past, had the ability to pack up and move on a dime–now cannot relocate because of their responsibilities for the care and well-being of elderly parents. Recently, I dealt with an executive who as a result of this challenge was unable to pursue a C-suite role in a first-tier company that would have been ideal for his career. It used to be that we worried about kids in high school–and mind you, that is still the bane of search consultants–but the era of eldercare is a potentially much greater issue. Think about it, average life spans are extending into the 80s, and couples who start with two sets of parents are establishing high odds that at least one of the four will require, at some point, intense elder care. This situation is going to become even more exaggerated as we Baby Boomers continue our long march to elderly status, saddling our kids with the most dramatic medical care crisis ever. Bet you wouldn’t have thought about this angle before…but it’s very real, and a not-insignificant issue for employers.