The “care economy” is booming. Today, nearly 1 in 2 people serve as unpaid caregivers. They show up for family members, friends and neighbors in whatever ways they can.
Efforts to support family caregivers have historically focused primarily on parents of young children or elders. However, anyone who has experienced caregiving knows that care spans all ages and demographics. Caregivers support those with chronic or acute conditions, cancer, mental health impacts, disabilities, and more.
Every segment of the population feels the intensity of caregiving, but the “sandwich generation” — those caring for someone over and under 18 simultaneously—feels it the most. Nearly a quarter of adults across the country belong to this group.
To honor, support and create upward mobility for this vital population, ARCHANGELS and The Joint Commission recently launched the Care Badge initiative, leveraging ARCHANGELS’ work with states, employers, health systems and local organizations to help unpaid caregivers and their communities, alongside The Joint Commission’s focus on patient safety and quality of care across all settings.
Recognizing and Supporting Unpaid Caregivers
The Care Badge initiative is a free way for people to get recognition and timely access to resources and networks of support. It includes short training videos on topics central to care; links to quick, actionable tips; and free tools to ease the intensity of caregiving. It also provides organizations and communities an opportunity to rally around this population in ways that provide value for all.
As a healthcare leader, you can recognize and support the unpaid caregivers within your own organization. Showing you care is the best way to improve organizational culture and drive top- and bottom-line results. It also enhances an organization’s reputation and increases productivity.
A cross-sector cohort of leading organizations participated in a pilot program for the Care Badge initiative. These organizations included the Alliance of Community Health Plans, the American Heart Association, the Association on Aging in NY, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Blue Star Families, Care.com, CaringBridge, Hilarity for Charity, the Massachusetts Caregiver Coalition, New York State Office for the Aging, and Northwell Health.
The pilot organizations demonstrated their care for employees. The initiative offered them a high-impact way to support those who are keeping our economy alive with their care. Through the pilot, the organizations encouraged their employees to obtain their Care Badge and access its free resources and support.
Within a month of its October 2024 launch, the Care Badge reached over 600,000 people on Facebook and Instagram, with nearly 10,000 connecting with the Care Badge page and posts on LinkedIn. Momentum continues to grow. The Care Badge connects people to support, with 50% of badge holders watching at least one video, 80% exploring resources and over a third sharing their badge on social media. These numbers do not reflect the countless ways the Care Badge has been shared family-to-family, neighbor-to-neighbor and friend-to-friend, creating a wave of support and recognition.
Within the pilot organizations, over 80% who got their badge also obtained their free Caregiver Intensity Score. Like any other job, unpaid caregiving can be intense—in both the best and hardest ways. ARCHANGELS’ Caregiver Intensity Index engages all caregivers, especially those who do not see themselves in the role. It provides each caregiver with a “score” and a tailored list of what’s most driving their intensity, as well as access to supportive resources at no cost.
Creating Opportunities in Healthcare
Front-line healthcare professionals form the foundation of our healthcare system. We rely on their expertise, dedication and compassion to protect and ensure the health and well-being of our communities. Unfortunately, the healthcare workforce faces unprecedented challenges.
Healthcare urgently needs the skills that unpaid caregivers possess, such as hands-on care, medication management, and navigating finances and a complex healthcare system. Given unpaid caregivers’ unique skill sets, there is a profound opportunity for them to apply their skills to the workforce.
We envision the Care Badge evolving to translate specific healthcare-related competencies into paid employment for caregivers. As your organization looks for qualified applicants, consider the many skills that unpaid caregivers possess.
Together, we are creating a movement. The Care Badge initiative not only provides a visual mark of the caregiving experience but also reframes caregiving as a strength-based asset invaluable in the workforce. Let’s join forces to support this population that serves as the invisible backbone of our nation to achieve our vision that all people always experience the safest, highest quality and most compassionate care.
To learn more, visit www.thecarebadge.com.
Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, PhD, FACMI, is president and CEO, The Joint Commission and Joint Commission International, Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. Alexandra Drane is co-founder and CEO, ARCHANGELS, Boston.