Grandparents' Day (September 10) is a time to celebrate and connect with our grandparents and older loved ones in our lives—and support them with critical policies that help them to care for future generations. Grandparents look different in every family and 65 looks different on everyone. If you are lucky enough to still have them, your grandparents may be still working, enjoying a new part-time job, or are retired and no longer working. Regardless of what stage of life your grandparents are in, paid leave and care policies are essential to supporting every generation of your family. 

Whether working or retired, there comes a time when all grandparents will need family care and the family members who support them will need paid leave, too. Think about it—when grandpa needs a hip replacement, it is often mom who takes a few weeks off work to help him recover.  

For older adults in the workforce, paid family and medical leave (PFML) is a necessary tool for managing any chronic and acute health conditions without risking their financial stability.  

As of 2019, more than 20% of adults over the age of 65 are working or looking for work. And, while anyone can face medical challenges, they are disproportionately felt by older workers as a natural part of aging. The National Cancer Institute reports that people in their sixties are three to four times more likely to receive a cancer diagnosis than those in their forties. Being able to take time off to receive treatment should never threaten anyone’s paycheck or financial security.  

Furthermore, 2.5 million grandparents are the primary provider for their grandchildren and 55% of those grandparents are in the labor force. These grandparents need paid leave for both their own needs as well as their grandchildren’s. 

As for older folks who are retired, their family caregivers need paid family and medical leave so that they never have to make impossible decisions between their loved ones or making ends meet.  

More than one in five adults in the U.S. are unpaid family caregivers, according to a 2020 report from AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving. The report further shares that 79% of unpaid caregivers provide for someone over the age of 50.  Sixty-two percent of unpaid caregivers of older adults are still in the workforce, meaning that they are struggling to balance work with the care needs of a loved one.  

Caregiving can also cause a financial strain: thirty-two percent of caregivers for family members over the age of 55 report that caregiving has eroded their savings in some form, and 10% are experiencing severe strain on their ability to afford necessities like food. Unpaid caregiving of grandparents and older loved ones impacts all families across racial groups and genders, but women and women of color are disproportionately impacted.  

A national paid family and medical leave program is one legislative solution to a complex problem. Our grandparents, whether they are working or not, deserve to age with dignity and respect and be able to receive and give care. We should all be able to care for our grandparents without worrying about our financial stability. The status quo does not work for anyone—grandparents or their families. Paid leave is not a band-aid that can fix that total lack of support our grandparents and family caregivers receive, but it is a massive step that would support every member of every family in every community. This Grandparents’ Day, tell your representative what paid leave means to you and your family! Take action here!