Walmart is lending a helping hand to unpaid family caregivers through a new partnership with human transformation company BetterUp. The two companies launched BetterUp for Caregivers late last week, a subscription service that connects caregivers to live programming, community support, self-guided programs and a variety of on-demand solutions.
Walmart Senior Vice President of Health and Wellness Merchandising Julie Barber told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse in an email the new service is part of the company’s ongoing effort to provide health and wellness services to its customers.
“Many of these customers serve their own family members as caregivers, giving of themselves daily with very little time devoted to their own wellness,” Barber said.”This is why we are so excited to bring BetterUp for Caregivers to Walmart.com — offering accessible, on-demand solutions for customers who care for those around them.”
Caregivers who subscribe to the service can access 25-minute courses on how to deal with stress and find balance in their lives. BetterUp estimates there are about 53 million people nationwide providing free care to family and friends.
“Caregivers suffer some of the highest levels of stress and isolation in our country,” BetterUp co-found and COO Eduardo Medina said. “It’s critical to provide effective support for such an important community.”
Homebound retailers
Walmart is among a growing legion of retailers including Amazon, CVS, Walgreens and Dollar General that are moving aggressively into healthcare, with most offering services aimed directly at the home. Walmart’s online Wellness Hub sells products and services, including diagnostic testing.
Last month, the company announced a partnership with Quest Diagnostics to provide up to 50 in-home diagnostic tests for everything from COVID-19 to heart health. Consumers can buy the tests online and Quest provides the results through a patient portal accessible on a smartphone or other electronic device.
Booming industry
Home health technology, in particular, is a booming industry. Market analytics company MarketsandMarkets estimates the industry will grow 50% over the next four years from just under $200 billion this year to nearly $300 billion by 2026.
