The Problem
Patients with primary care health conditions such as asthma, epilepsy, and skin conditions require more than just medication; they need better care at home and want to improve their quality of life to make their days more bearable.
This is where carers come in. Numbering over 259 million worldwide, carers often are family members—parents, children, siblings, and other relatives—who have stepped up to assume this vital role. The knowledge needed to care for their loved ones goes beyond just dispensing medication and adhering to medical treatments, so they must research on their own, combing through many different sources to find a solution that works.
Overlooked and underserved, many carers are part of the sandwich generation. So apart from their duty of care, they also look after their growing children and aging parents while still managing other roles like professional careers and social commitments, affecting their well-being.
“Overall, my task increased, I had to distract them from what was going on as well as create more comfortable situations that didn’t require leaving the house.”
— 40 year old, Brazilian caring for patient with long-term mental condition
Due to time constraints and rapid patient turnover rates, consultations with healthcare professionals (HCPs) are often short and functional, focusing only on medical solutions. This was highlighted during the pandemic when patients overwhelmed the medical system, stretching it to breaking point. During this time, patients with non-urgent or life-threatening chronic diseases were a lower priority, making home care the only option for unprepared family members who became their carers.
Facing a lack of information, heightened stress, and sacrifice required, many carers are left on their own with the health of their loved ones on their hands.
With the usual channels for medical information—doctors, nurses and other HCPs—overwhelmed and inaccessible, GSK wanted to help. So we created a new channel to help carers find the right support system for their loved ones and themselves.
Carerhood: A new channel for carers BY carers
Built on a mobile-responsive platform, Carerhood works to connect carers to the right information and advice from expert carer communities and always-on, providing the support needed to improve the quality of care for their loved ones and themselves.
We first interviewed patients with chronic conditions to unveil the real needs of carers and their challenges. Next, we reached out to the professional carer community and partner Online Opinion Leaders (OOLs) to share their actionable advice and experiences through film modules to share with these home-based carers.
Personalised actionable advice and support, available for every family carer
When a carer visits the channel for the first time, a simple questionnaire helps identify their loved one’s diseases, as well as their own personal carer needs and capabilities. They are then served the right curated content delivered by expert carers as and when they need it and introduced to the relevant support groups and communities to further provide support.
Launch
Launched globally on 13th March 2023, Carerhood was promoted via PR, social media, online displays, and in doctors’ offices in partner clinics and hospitals.
To reach even more home-based carers, we established Carerhood communities on various platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, so carers can conveniently connect with the relevant communities they need for support.
“It’s mutually supportive and it’s incredibly valuable in helping you actually to be able to move on and cope.”
Being a carer isn’t easy, but they no longer have to walk their difficult journey alone. With Carerhood they now have access to new channels of support, information, and empowerment to uplift the quality of life for their loved ones, and themselves.
