The Unsung Heroes of Caregiving

Every day, an estimated 100 million people selflessly dedicate their time and energy to caring for loved ones. One of them is Kaila, a GuideWell team member who has been caring for her mother since her diagnosis with early-onset Parkinson's disease.

Kaila's story is a powerful reminder of the significant challenges and rewards of caregiving. Despite the stress, exhaustion, and difficulty, Kaila remains committed to providing the best possible care for her mother. Her story is a testament to the love and dedication that caregivers across America bring to their roles every day.

Her story is not unique. There are millions of caregivers like her across the country, providing unpaid care to family members and friends. In Florida alone, there are over 2.3 million family caregivers who provide an estimated 1.6 billion hours of unpaid care each year. That number will increase as our population ages, in what is being called the “Silver Tsunami”. Estimates predict that within the next five years, more than one-fifth of the U.S. population will be over 65.

At GuideWell, we recognize the critical role that caregivers play in our communities. We also recognize that many of our team members, like Kaila, have caregiving responsibilities at home, in addition to their full-time jobs. We must support them. This year, we created an Employee Resource Group (ERG) focused on caregivers that provides a safe space for team members to share experiences, learn from each other, and access resources and education. So far, more than 500 employees have joined. Kaila is a proud board member.

We're working to support caregivers in our communities as well, through our growing offering of forward-thinking tools, networks, and personalized services. Our holistic approach makes us uniquely equipped to deliver physical and mental health support, wraparound services, and advanced care planning support.

Taking care of a friend or loved one, whether it’s part-time or around-the-clock, can take a toll on your physical and mental health. Stress is common and caregivers are much more likely to experience anxiety and depression than non-caregivers.

We’re leveraging Florida Blue Centers in communities across the state to be a safe place for caregivers to turn to as they start their journey, get support along the way, find respite, and talk about the realities of being a caregiver. We’ve built a robust caregiver resources website at floridablue.com/caregiver. Additionally, we created an online Facebook Support Group, Caregivers Connection, led by our community specialists to offer advice and support.

I'm proud of the work GuideWell is doing to support caregivers and those they care for. I'm grateful for team members like Kaila who are making a difference in the lives of their loved ones. I'm committed to continuing our efforts to support this critical population.

Do you have a caregiving experience you want to share? Do you have ideas on how we can better support caregivers in our communities? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Let's continue the conversation in the comments.