Through this partnership, Guardian will become the first insurance carrier to include caregiving support services in an employer-provided disability insurance policy. Support services for members include access to a caregiving concierge, digital planning tools, and the Wellthy Community, an online forum for family caregivers to connect and exchange knowledge.
The policy will initially be offered to new members and individuals who are caregivers or require their own care can use Wellthy’s services at every stage of their care journey, regardless of whether they are caring for themselves, their spouse, children, parents, or a member of their chosen family.
Wellthy was founded in 2014 and has since raised almost $80 million in funding. The company has helped with over 130,000 care-related projects. These range from vetting potential facilities to finding bespoke specialist services. All projects are supported by Wellthy’s network of care experts from across the industry. The company has previously partnered with New York Life and Prudential.
In recent years, Guardian discovered that the time caregivers devote to caregiving responsibilities has tripled, rising from 9 hours per week in 2020 to 26 hours per week in 2023. Their report, “Standing Up and Stepping In,” also revealed that these increasing responsibilities are a major factor in the decline of caregiver well-being, with caregivers reporting the lowest overall well-being among all Americans.
Matt Darula, Head of Product, commented on Guardian’s research and the partnership: “While providing care is a noble act, it’s having real well-being consequences and ultimately impacting workplace productivity. Our study found that close to half of all caregivers report low well-being—32% more than non-caregivers.”
“Our commitment to supporting wellness is ironclad and we’re exploring a variety of partnerships, services, and offerings to inspire member well-being. As we do so, addressing the burden faced by caregivers is one of the most meaningful ways we can help make progress against that commitment.” Darula added.
Lindsay Jurist-Rosner, CEO and Co-Founder of Wellthy, also reflected: “Family caregivers are unsung heroes, waking up every day and taking on responsibilities related to an ever-growing spectrum of care. Caring for loved ones is fundamentally one of the most human things we do, and yet the complexities, stress, anxiety, and fragmentation of navigating care today causes major disruption in the lives of working caregivers. Our partnership with Guardian is a significant step forward in providing comprehensive support to caregivers in our workforce, helping ensure they have the resources and guidance they need to thrive both at work and at home.”
