After over a year of providing their families with emotional and physical support, caregivers need relief — and this startup is aiming to do just that.
Family First launched a new workplace benefit that helps employees create a comprehensive and personalized care plan, utilizing AI technology and a network of care experts and physicians.
“Caregiving is a process — it's not a single event,” says Evan Falchuk, CEO & chairman of Family First. “ [We have] a care team that includes social workers, nurses, and physicians, and then a very comprehensive technology platform to really dig into the details of what's really happening in these cases.”
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More than 50 million adults in the U.S. are caregivers for loved ones with illnesses, disabilities, and special needs, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. During COVID, the strain forced more than 3 million people out of their jobs because of caregiving responsibilities and millions more had to reduce or change their hours at work to care for children, parents, other family members, and loved ones coping with health issues or disabilities.
As some employees plan to head back to the office, addressing the clinical aspects of caregiving alongside the emotional and social challenges was top of mind for the Family First benefit.
“Employers are dealing with this question of how do I get my employees to come back to work given the reality of caregiving,” he says. “What we do is figure out what's really happening so you can come up with a good plan as to what to do."
As an example, Falchuk used a loved one who's experiencing trouble driving. When left without the right resources and support, he says a family may place the blame on old age and think the best course of action is to simply take their keys away. When in reality, the issue could be due to other factors such as bad medication attrition or even a neurological condition — which would be impossible to diagnose without the help of an expert. Now the family has not only gotten down the root of the problem, but Family First also provides the next steps.
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As digitalization becomes a critical part of employee benefits, Family First is using tech to help caregivers access the resources they need to support their loved ones in and out of the home. Users can learn ways to keep track of organizing a loved one’s meds or scheduling a CT scan with help of a physician that the platform provides.
Providing these benefits will get caregivers back to work faster and act as
“This is such a great opportunity to create a new workplace where we have these kinds of benefits available,” Falchuk says. “Make sure that your employees are taken care of again, whether they're taking care of the sick spouse or a child or a parent — because that's the reality now.”
