Carallel is building on its work to support caregivers with the launch of its new app, which aims to provide them a personalized digital experience.
The company said the application will be made available to hundreds of thousands of people across the country thanks to its partnerships with Medicare Advantage, dual special needs plans and Medicaid. Through the app, users can readily secure assistance from care advocates and find a curated selection of tools and resources that can assist their caregiving work.
The app also feeds valuable insights back to the insurer, making it easier for them to enhance support to caregivers.
Shara Cohen, CEO of Carallel, told Fierce Healthcare that as the team gathered new data on caregivers through its partnership with major health plans, it saw a clear opportunity to "level up" its support through an enhanced digital experience.
"The companion application is really about giving people not only help in navigating all of the various responsibilities that they have but real support and access to experts to have the ability to be more connected, because caregiving can be so isolating," Cohen said.
Carallel's Care Advocates work with caregivers to ease their burden, making it easier for them to fulfill their roles. They are trained in fields like dementia care, end-of-life care and social work to provide expertise, and, through the app, users can reach advocates via voice, chat or email.
The app also offers a secure platform members can use to manage key tasks and connect with peers.
Family caregivers often face a significant burden in providing care to a loved one. AARP estimates that 53 million people in the U.S. are caregivers, and more than 40% describe the workload as "high intensity" given the time they need to dedicate to care.
Cohen said caregiving requires "a lot of big jobs all rolled into one" as caregivers navigate healthcare, legal and financial decisions.
"To really effectively support a family caregiver, you have to be prepared to help them navigate and problem solve in all those areas," she said. "Doing so requires that we connect a lot of dots for them."
"That's why we've built our partner ecosystem the way we have," Cohen said.