How CaringBridge Supports Family Caregivers: A Lifeline for Emotional and Practical Help
CaringBridge is dedicated to supporting family caregivers and their loved ones during health journeys, providing a platform that fosters connection, emotional support, and community. Our online tools help caregivers manage the overwhelming burden of balancing 30+ hours of caregiving each week, alongside their regular 40-hour work schedule.
Caregivers often experience feelings of overwhelm, isolation, and loneliness. These emotional challenges are common, but CaringBridge provides practical solutions that make a significant difference in improving caregivers’ emotional well-being. By activating a support group, caregivers are empowered to share their experiences and receive the help they need in real time.
How CaringBridge helps caregivers: Simple, practical support for every stage of the journey
At CaringBridge, we meet caregivers where they are. Studies show that caregivers who have support during a health journey help achieve better outcomes for their loved ones. In fact, 56% of patients with dedicated caregivers experience lower hospital readmission rates, and 88% achieve better patient outcomes.* CaringBridge offers that support in four key ways:
Communicate
Support that helps you connect
We know that simple effective communication is critical for family caregivers. CaringBridge enables caregivers to update their family and friends with ease, reducing the burden of constant individual updates. CaringBridge helps you decide how, when, and what to share with their network, allowing them to focus on the care at hand.
In 2023, CaringBridge helped nearly 320,000 daily visitors surround family caregivers and their loved ones with emotional, social, and functional support.
One of those caregivers was Huzefa, who cared for his wife Sabeeha through her breast cancer treatments.
“The caregiver’s journey is an endless journey,” said Huzefa. “I would not have been able to remain as positive if it was not for CaringBridge to offload that part of it. It gave me the forum to be positive, to be open, to be vulnerable.”
Their journey hasn’t always been easy. There have been numerous setbacks along the way. But there have also been many joyful moments, all of which have been documented on CaringBridge.
“Everybody wants to help. And we don’t know how. The least we can do is be there and give you a sense of community every day. Humans are social animals. You need people around you. And that’s what CaringBridge gives you.”
Capture
Support that helps you process
Research shows the act of capturing a loved one’s health journey improves emotional health and social support.
When Jeff was in a motorcycle accident three weeks before his wedding, his fiancé Kristin used CaringBridge. She needed a place to process what was happening to Jeff and what she was going through as his primary caregiver through amputation surgery and recovery.
“To write what was going on was therapeutic for me,” Kristin said. “It was nice to be able to tell the story not only of what Jeff was going through, but also of the caregiver side of it. Like, this is what we went through today. This is what sucked, and this is what we’re hoping for tomorrow.”
For Kristin and so many others, using CaringBridge really works. After using CaringBridge for six or more months, caregivers reported a 4X improvement of feeling less alone, and a 2X greater sense of purpose in being a caregiver.
Coordinate
Support that helps you ask for help
Asking for help can be difficult for caregivers who are used to managing everything themselves. CaringBridge makes it easy for family caregivers to ask for help— Our “Ways to Get Help” feature offers practical tools and resources that help family caregivers activate their communities in meaningful, manageable ways. Whether you need meals, financial assistance, or just a little extra support, this feature is all about surrounding you with the help you need—when you need it most.
When Sonia was diagnosed with cancer in her first year of graduate school, she thankfully had the support of her parents to help her through treatment and recovery. However, she recognizes how valuable CaringBridge can be for those that may not have the same type of support.
“It’s just so much when you have to go through treatments,” she said. “It’s not just the appointments. It’s having to pick up medication or having to get food. It’s just so much logistically, and you realize there are a lot of things you might not be able to do yourself anymore. You need that community of support.”
In fact, two-thirds of family caregivers using CaringBridge receive a matched offer of support within 24 hours of their request on our platform. And since CaringBridge was founded in 1997, more than 2.7 billion visits to the website have been made, offering the kind of support family caregivers count on to get them through their days.
Community
Support that helps you feel less alone
The stress and isolation that caregivers face can negatively impact their mental and physical health . In May 2023, Surgeon General Vivek Murphy released The Surgeon General’s Advisory on Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation an advisory highlighting the severe health risks of loneliness, which can be as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. But there’s good news—being socially connected can significantly improve stress response and health outcomes.
CaringBridge helps users bring together your community of choice to rally support and connect you with others who have had similar experiences. First-time parents Katie and Betsy used CaringBridge to connect with their community during a particularly isolating time. Their son William was born with a rare genetic condition that meant he would need a heart transplant soon after birth. They lived in the hospital for the first 10 months of William’s life, waiting for that life-saving operation—and all during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their community couldn’t come to them, but CaringBridge helped surround them with support when they needed it most.
“Nobody could even visit us for the first three months of William’s life, and it was extremely lonely,” Katie said. “CaringBridge definitely made us feel less alone because people were celebrating the exciting things William was doing, and they were grieving the things that we needed to grieve.”
William went on to receive his heart transplant and is now thriving as a toddler with his two adoring moms cheering him on every step of the way. They remain grateful to CaringBridge for helping their community rally around them and baby William during that difficult time.
“Using CaringBridge to talk about our journey and to post journal entries and pictures became very cathartic for us,” Betsy said. “It just made you feel like you had a sense of community, even though you didn’t have it right there staring you in the face.”
Why CaringBridge matters: Better outcomes for caregivers and loved ones
Studies show that caregivers who have support during a health journey help achieve better outcomes for their loved ones. In fact, 56% of patients with dedicated caregivers experience lower hospital readmission rates, and 88% achieve better patient outcomes.
By offering emotional, social, and logistical support, CaringBridge helps reduce the negative effects of caregiving and provides the essential connection that leads to better overall health.
Start your journey with CaringBridge: Activate your support network today
CaringBridge is here to support you through every step of your caregiving journey. Whether you need help processing your experiences, coordinating practical support, or simply staying connected with your community, we’re here to help. Start your CaringBridge today and surround yourself with the emotional support you deserve.
*CHCS (Center for Health Care Strategies, Inc.), May 2020