CaringBridge Announces Steering Membership in Coalition to End Social Isolation and Loneliness

BLOOMINGTON, Minn., April 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CaringBridge is pleased to announce it has joined the Coalition to End Social Isolation and Loneliness (CESIL) as a Steering Committee Member.

The mission of the Coalition to End Social Isolation and Loneliness is to engage diverse stakeholders, increase public awareness, promote innovative research, and advocate for policy change that addresses the adverse consequences of social isolation and loneliness and advances approaches that improve social connectedness for all Americans.

As a leader standing up to end social isolation and loneliness, CaringBridge addresses feelings of overwhelm, isolation, and loneliness by improving emotional health and social connectedness, helping people come together in support of healing. A no-cost, nonprofit health platform that surrounds family caregivers with support while they care for a loved one on a health journey, the organization offers tools to share and document a health journey, simplify care coordination, and connect caregivers with a supportive community.

Tia Newcomer, CaringBridge CEO commented, "There is an acute need to address overwhelm, isolation, and loneliness for the 53M family caregivers in the United States. Family caregivers provide the overwhelming majority of long-term care in the U.S. today, and this need is expected to grow significantly as the population ages. Working together with CESIL, we will ensure family caregivers are included in policies, from intervention to social support."

CaringBridge has over 26 years of experience supporting caregivers and their loved ones going through a health journey. CaringBridge reports that 2/3 of CaringBridge caregivers receive a matched offer of support within 24 hours of their request [Bloom 2021] and that CaringBridge provides a means for patients to receive emotional support (~40% of posts) and instrumental support (25% of posts) [Smith 2020]. In a recent ArchAngels report from 2022, compared to national averages, CaringBridge users felt 3x greater connection to family (social support) and 3x greater not feeling manipulated or resentful (emotional support).

Jillian Racoosin Kornmeier, MPH, Executive Director of the Coalition to End Social Isolation and Loneliness shared, "Caregivers play an invaluable role in supporting the health of our loved ones, and the nature of their selfless work places them at higher risk of experiencing social isolation and loneliness. In an effort to support the well-being of these individuals, we are thrilled to have CaringBridge join the Coalition and look forward to achieving great progress with their leadership on our Steering Committee."

About CaringBridge

CaringBridge is a no-cost, 501(c)(3) nonprofit health platform that surrounds family caregivers with support while they care for a loved one on a health journey. A donor-supported nonprofit founded in 1997, the organization offers tools to share and document a health journey, simplify care coordination, and connect caregivers with a supportive community. CaringBridge addresses feelings of overwhelm, isolation, and loneliness by improving emotional health and social connectedness, helping people come together in support of healing. With over 300,000 people on the platform every day sending or receiving support, there are over 1,600 messages of love, hope, and compassion posted every hour. And every 12 minutes a new CaringBridge page is started. The CaringBridge community includes all 50 states and more than 242 countries around the world. To learn more visit www.caringbridge.org

About the Coalition to End Social Isolation and Loneliness

Since its founding in 2018, the Coalition to End Social Isolation & Loneliness has been advocating for policy change that addresses the detrimental effects of social isolation and loneliness. The Coalition represents over 50 of the most influential consumer groups, patient advocates, health plans, community-based organizations, behavioral health groups, and private sector innovators in the United States, all who share a mission to create a more socially connected nation. Through disseminating research findings, leading public awareness, and advocating for legislative and regulatory interventions, the Coalition envisions a society where every individual will one day have the opportunities and support necessary to be socially engaged. For more information, please visit: endsocialisolation.org

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SOURCE CaringBridge