Carewell Announces Winner of 2022 Caregiver of the Year Awards

NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Carewell, the leading e-commerce resource for family caregivers, announced today the winner of their 2022 Caregiver of the Year Awards. The award celebrates the commitments and sacrifices that unpaid family caregivers make by offering recognition and a $5,000 cash prize to one outstanding caregiver.

Carewell received 1,141 submissions which detailed true stories and experiences from family caregivers around the U.S. Of those submissions, one winner has been chosen as Carewell's 2022 Caregiver of the Year. Each submission was reviewed by the Carewell team and the following six Carewell ambassadors who assisted in the decision-making process: Dr. Macie Smith, Elizabeth of Happy Healthy Caregiver, Michelle of Caregiving Advice, Kris of LifeWithGrams, Erica of BadassCaregiver, and Adria Thompson of Be Light Care.

"Our mission has always been to support unpaid caregivers through their daily needs and offer assistance however we can through our 24/7 customer support line," states Bianca Padilla, Carewell's Co-Founder and CEO. "Today, we're thrilled to grant the winner of our 2^nd annual awards with the financial support of five thousand dollars and recognition as our caregiver of the year to celebrate those who are going above and beyond to provide for their loved ones."

Carewell's 2022 Caregiver of the Year is MaryAnn Gerth from Indianapolis, Indiana. MaryAnn has been a caregiver most of her life and identifies herself and her purpose as synonymous with providing care.

MaryAnn is a caregiver for her 96-year-old mother and also provided care for her brother, Bobby, who had Down's syndrome. MaryAnn began providing full-time care in 2008 when her mother was diagnosed with osteoporosis and had a setback from a knee replacement surgery. At the time, her mother was the primary caretaker for her brother and so MaryAnn and her husband built an in-law suite onto their home to take in both her mom and brother. MaryAnn felt it was her responsibility to keep her mother and brother together as they have a special bond.

MaryAnn's brother was diagnosed with dementia in 2020 and in early 2021 was hospitalized for both wound treatment and aspiration pneumonia, leading to a quick decline in his overall health. During 2021, MaryAnn spent 27 total days in the hospital with her brother. During the same period, MaryAnn was also attempting to manage issues related to her mother's knee. After wearing a prescribed brace for 3 months, her mother's knee did not heal correctly. MaryAnn became responsible for lifting both her mom and brother from their wheelchairs for various needs anywhere from 10-14 times a day, each. She would even sit between them during meals in order to feed them both simultaneously. On Thanksgiving Day, Bobby passed away at home while on hospice for just 9 days.

When speaking of her caregiving journey, MaryAnn said, "Each day holds unexpected frustrations but unexpected delights in knowing that I am making a difference in the care of loved ones. Having family at home, I feel impacts their quality of life and helps ensure they are getting the proper level of care and support needed. There is also the personal affirmation that I feel when helping someone who helped me as my mother nurtured and instilled values in me as her daughter and I am passing on those values and behaviors to my three sons. I believe (if one is able) that caring for people in our lives is the right thing to do."

In addition to the winner, Carewell is recognizing 20 caregiving heroes and will be sharing their stories through social media on National Caregivers Day, February 18th with the hashtag #CCOY2022.

To learn more about Carewell's Caregiver of the Year Awards, visit our site or speak with one of our Caregiving Specialists by phone or email: (855) 855-1666, [email protected].

Carewell 
Carewell is the leading full-service resource for family caregivers. With more than 50M unpaid caregivers in the U.S. alone, Carewell is well-positioned to serve a large market in need. Our family-founded, woman-led company provides the highest quality home health products, personalized service by phone or email, a simplified shopping experience, and expert content. With $30M in venture funding, and rapid growth in 2020, Carewell's mission is to continue to improve the health and happiness of caregivers and their loved ones. Recent recognition: #74 The 2021 Inc. 5000 List; Modern Retail "Best Customer Service Experience"; #8 Fast Company "Most Innovative Companies in Retail" 2021. 

Website: Carewell.com  Customer Care: (855) 855-1666

SOURCE Carewell