The Majority of Medicare and Medicaid Members Feel their Caregiving Needs Caused Family Strain, New Family First Survey Finds

BOSTON, Jan. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- New survey results from Family First, the first and only caregiving support benefit to offer health plan members expert-led holistic, coordinated solutions, uncover the family caregiving struggles that Medicare and Medicaid members contended with during the pandemic.

Family First surveyed Health Plan Medicare and Medicaid members who have a family caregiver to better understand the emotional, mental, physical, and financial challenges they encountered during the pandemic and reveal the support they need from their health plans.

A growing shortage of caregivers in the U.S., partnered with more Medicare members choosing to age in place, led many Medicare and Medicaid members to rely on their families for healthcare assistance. While family members can be great caregivers, the overall dynamic can be challenging due to lack of clinical care expertise, limited time and resources as well as conflicting opinions on difficult health decisions. Many family caregivers are also impacted by the pandemic and experience caregiving burnout.

Key findings of the survey include:

• Caregiving needs and challenges are impacting member mental health: Most respondents (65%) say their caregiving needs increased during the pandemic, leading many to face mental health challenges. Since the onset of COVID-19, 59% of them also experienced suicidal thoughts, another 59% increased substance abuse and 62% suffered from depression. Most respondents dealt with stress and anxiety as well.
  
  
• Family dynamics associated with caregiving are strained: More than half (57%) of members feel like a burden on their family and 61% say that their caregiving needs had a negative impact on their relationship with the family caregiver. These needs also led 72% of them to confront challenging family dynamics. In addition to receiving care, 62% of respondents also provide caregiving support to another member of their family which can be extremely overwhelming.
  
  
• Health plans are not offering enough clinical caregiving support: A large portion of members (66%) feel that caregiving support should be an essential benefit offered by health plans and another 66% would consider switching to a health plan that provides better caregiving support. Making medical appointments and managing medications were listed as the most difficult aspect of healthcare for members to navigate.

"Medicare and Medicaid members and their loved ones should not have to manage these caregiving challenges alone. They and their caregiving providers deserve real and actionable support," said Evan Falchuk, CEO and Chairman of Family First. "By providing clinical caregiving resources and expertise, health plans have the power to truly help members and their caregivers address mental health challenges, combat feelings of loneliness and isolation, navigate family dynamics, and ultimately improve clinical outcomes."

For more information, please visit: www.family-first.com/health-plans

About Family First
Family First is the first expert-led and technology-powered caregiving support benefit, integrating expert care teams and clinical and social determinants of health data to create holistic, comprehensive, and accurate care plans that solve members' most urgent caregiving needs. Powered by industry-leading technology, Family First combines 30 years of hands-on experience, a multi-disciplinary team of experts, and an artificial intelligence engine that analyzes data from millions of people to ensure members have the caregiving solutions they need — and their loved ones are on the right care path. Learn more at www.family-first.com.

SOURCE Family First