Promoting public health and advancing health equity has always been at the forefront of CareYaya’s mission. For decades, the care industry has faced immense gaps that have made it harder for families to obtain the support that they deserve in caring for elderly individuals, people with disabilities, and medically vulnerable children. Expensive caregiving costs and a shortage of caregivers are leading structural issues that are pervasive in this industry. Recognizing the need for reform in the care industry, CareYaya was formed with support on the campuses of major research universities. By addressing each of these issues in a sustainable and scalable manner, CareYaya strives to remedy the care industry and offer affordable, equitable support so that every family can obtain the support that they need.
Addressing Expensive Care Costs
Currently, the care industry is incredibly expensive and inaccessible for many families. In fact, caregiving services are typically offered for over $30-40 per hour, which is not sustainable for most families. As a direct result, many low-income and middle-class families have found it incredibly difficult to obtain the required caregiving services to support their loved ones, making it hard on both the individual who requires assistance and the family that is spending long hours to help. This exacerbates health disparities – families from lower socioeconomic groups are often forgotten by the care industry, which has a disastrous impact on health equity, especially considering that socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, disability status, and other underserved social identities are closely intertwined. By offering caregiving services at an unprecedented affordable rate, CareYaya strives to make caregiving support more accessible to the average family and ensure that they do not suffer because of financial reasons.
Addressing the Caregiver Workforce Shortage
For many years, the care industry has faced an immense workforce shortage, resulting in fewer caregivers being available to support families. This issue worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic and has widespread societal consequences – families have a harder time finding caregivers, caregiving services become more expensive, and the quality of care can decrease if caregivers are tired and burnt-out. CareYaya recognized this problem and developed an innovative solution by supporting college students in becoming caregivers. The college students CareYaya empowers are highly motivated and empathetic, all seeking to enter the healthcare field in future clinical careers, and are eager to form close connections with families. By working with this large and driven population, CareYaya is able to solve the workforce shortages in the care industry and ensure that a greater number of families are able to obtain the high-quality support that they need.
Benefits for Families
By offering affordable caregiving services and addressing the workforce shortage, CareYaya is able to promote better health outcomes for both the individual receiving care and their families. First and foremost, more individuals are able to receive caregiving services, which increases their access to care, reduces the likelihood of injuries from unintentional falls or other accidents, and improves their mental health through companionship from friendly caregivers. We are happy that we can help individuals feel healthier, happier, and more autonomous, while simultaneously ensuring that these benefits are equitably offered to all families, regardless of financial status or social identity.
In addition to supporting the individual receiving caregiving services, CareYaya strives to support their family members. We recognize that taking care of a loved one can be exhausting, and that family members often face burnout when trying to provide care alone. By supporting families through our services, we hope that CareYaya can provide reassurance and respite to families who work tirelessly to ensure that their loved ones receive the best possible experience. Thus, the mission of CareYaya is twofold: to support both individuals and their families in a sustainable and equitable way.
With health equity being at the core of CareYaya’s work, we are thrilled to have received positive support from leading public health institutions, such as the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Every day, CareYaya continues to work towards improving public health by addressing gaps in the care industry and ensuring that all families have access to caregiving services. Thank you so much for your interest in our mission, and we are excited to work together to build a better caregiving solution for all!
Anahita Gupta
UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health