The We Care Caregiver Study is a new evidence-based study that is working to provide resources and support to ETSU students and employees in their roles as caregivers.
We Care is comprised of three components: a multimedia campaign, a website for resources and educational groups.
The We Care multimedia campaign is designed to raise awareness about what it means to be a caregiver, especially bringing attention to acts of care that someone may not recognize as being caregiving.
“A lot of individuals who are caregivers don’t recognize themselves or label themselves as caregivers. And as a result, they don’t seek out services and support. So this is helpful to help folks understand what caregiving may look like and that you might actually be in a caregiving role and not be aware of that,” said Jodi Southerland, assistant professor in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health.
Some examples of being a caregiver can include helping a family member, friend, neighbor or anyone else who may require assistance, whether it is through a more consistent daily form of help or less frequent such as helping with picking up groceries every once in a while.
The We Care website was developed to connect caregivers with several resources in an easily accessible way. It offers both campus and community resources as well as tips and tools. The website can be found at wecare-caregivers.com.
The Campus Resources tab is divided into general resources, employee resources and student resources. It includes information and links to several on-campus resources such as the Counseling Center, ETSU Health, Campus Recreation and more.
The Community Resources tab has drop-down menus with local, state-level and national resource options organized by specific needs. Some of these options include Aging Support and Caregivers Programs in Tennessee, Care Navigation and Long-term Care Options, Caregiver Education, Financial Assistance, and Food Support and Nutrition Assistance.
The Tips and Tools tab focuses on the caregiver and resources they may need on their own journey from educational information to articles about self-care and understanding emotions associated with being a caregiver. This tab also includes apps for stress and caregiving community along with podcasts and YouTube channels that focus on topics surrounding caregiving.
The website is currently a pilot and has a Feedback tab available for people to suggest ideas for improvement, further resources or types of support, or to comment on what aspects of the website or resources have been most helpful for them.
ETSU students and employees who are assisting adults age 50 or older and are interested in participating in the study can find more information along with the form link under the Enroll in We Care Study tab on the website. Study participants will complete two surveys sharing their caregiving experiences.
The third part of the study is called Powerful Tools for Caregivers and will be an eight-week educational curriculum available to study participants in the fall. The program is designed to help caregivers by providing them with useful skills for their caregiving role, including topics such as decision-making, communication and stress reduction.
“When we conducted another caregiving study back in 2023, we asked folks if they would be interested in participating in a follow-up study where we could learn a little bit more about their caregiving roles and how universities can support them. And we had an overwhelming response,” Southerland said. “Over 60% of the individuals that responded to the survey were like, yes, we want to participate in more research in this area. And I think that speaks volumes to how important this research is, that individuals want their voices to be heard.”
