The Work of Informal Caregiving
Informal caregivers are the backbone of modern healthcare — an invisible workforce operating inside our homes. Here is what that work involves, and why…
When we think of healthcare, we often picture doctors, nurses, and hospitals. But there is a massive, invisible workforce operating right inside our homes. These are informal caregivers, and they are the backbone of modern healthcare.
At Avanlee Care, we know that caring for an aging loved one can be challenging. Through education, support, and organization, we’re here to ease the burden placed on family caregivers.
The Importance of Informal Caregivers
An informal, or family caregiver is someone who provides unpaid care to a loved one, relative or friend with a chronic illness, disability, or other health condition. Of course, caregiving can look different for everyone, and whether it requires two hours a week or 24 hours a day, informal caregiving encompasses a wide range of physical, emotional, and administrative support. Informal caregivers might manage grocery delivery, medication adherence, transportation, or even provide in-home medical care. These unpaid caregivers help improve health outcomes, emotional wellbeing, and provide a familiar face through an unfamiliar and challenging landscape.
Caregivers save healthcare systems money, ensure better health outcomes, provide emotional support, and help bridge care gaps. AARP puts the annual value of unpaid family caregiving in the United States at $1.01 trillion — 59 million caregivers giving 49.5 billion hours in 2024. By preventing expensive hospital stays and delaying nursing home care, informal caregivers provide critical support for aging loved ones, and as care managers they help improve health outcomes, emotional health, and general wellbeing. Informal caregivers stay on top of health changes, medications, and medical appointments, and make sure important information does not fall through the cracks of healthcare visits.
We’re Here to Help
Many caregivers juggle full-time jobs, child-rearing, and their own financial struggles alongside their care duties. Caregivers frequently neglect their own health, skip their own doctor appointments, and experience high levels of stress and anxiety.
The work done by caregivers is so important. At Avanlee Care, our mission is to support caregivers and simplify your caregiving work. The Avanlee app is designed to make your caregiving easier, keep your family connected, and help you stay organized. We’re here to help ease the caregiving mental load, provide education, and simplify caregiving work.
Avanlee is free through participating health plans.
One place for the appointments, medications, notes and tasks — shared with everyone helping.
