While also rewarding, the responsibilities associated with caregiving can seem endless. On any given day, caregivers are responsible for basic tasks like cooking, cleaning and providing companionship, as well as more complex responsibilities like managing medications and taking care of any medical needs that arise. It’s a lot of responsibility, and for many, it’s something that’s juggled amongst a career, a partner, children and a life of their own. In fact, a pair of surveys conducted by Cambia Health Solutions showed that 25% of caregivers are also caring for a child under 18 and 54% are employed full- or part-time.

Caregivers who also work full-time face what Cambia calls a “Workplace Care-nundrum,” meaning that employees required to juggle caregiving with other personal and professional obligations are at risk of jeopardizing their professional success in the process. And as the need for unpaid care from family and friends continues to rise, it will become more important than ever for employers to help solve the problem.

Tech Tools Offer Opportunity For Caregiver Support

With so many technological advancements in the past 10 years – especially those in mobile health (also known as mHealth) and telehealth – the resources available to caregivers are expanding and technology is becoming crucial to helping ease the stresses of providing care to a loved one.

About two-thirds of caregivers are already using at least one digital tool to help manage their caregiving duties. They’re utilizing everything from smart automatic pill dispensers and medical alert wearables, to robots that help combat loneliness, and apps that connect caregivers to live health professionals.

But it shouldn’t end there. According to the study, nearly two in five employed caregivers say that having access to a tool that enables them to monitor health records remotely (43%) or connects them with a health and wellness professional who can answer questions and support caregiving activities (36%) would increase their workplace satisfaction.

Pria has facial recognition software and PIN code verification that ensures the correct person gets the correct medication. Most other medication dispensers don’t offer this level of security. If a loved one lives with others or has frequent visitors, this is an important safety feature to help ensure that the right person gets the right medication. Pria helps keep loved ones safe so caregivers can focus efforts elsewhere.

By vetting and recommending tools and technologies that are geared toward supporting their employed caregivers, employers are in a position to bolster mHealth and telehealth adoption at home.

“Employers have the opportunity to support their employees and positively impact their business by evaluating tools and services delivering leading edge technology and personalized support – especially when it comes to caregivers. Providing solutions backed by support and personalization can also help improve their employees’ work-life balance and overall job satisfaction.” - Cambia Health Solutions Right now, an estimated 100 million people, or 45% of the U.S. population, are caring for a loved one. These people also make up a huge part of the workforce, so it’s critical that employers adapt to the changing landscape and find ways to support their employees that help care for others .