Supporting the people who support patients
August 28, 2026 | Making Health Whole, Whole Health Communication, carers, healthcare communications
Supporting those who provide care can lead to improved experiences and health outcomes for everyone involved.
Healthcare traditionally focuses on treating the patient. However, behind each person living with a long-term condition, there is often a person helping them navigate daily life who also needs support, and may have their wellbeing overlooked. Carers may provide support by:
- Managing appointments
- Providing emotional reassurance
- Helping with treatment, including adherence
The hidden impact on carers
For many carers, the role of caring increases gradually. What may start as occasional assistance can develop into significant responsibilities, often alongside other commitments (e.g. employment, parenting, studying). The demands of caregiving may affect relationships, finances, emotional wellbeing and physical health, and carers often prioritise the needs of the person they support above their own, leaving signs of stress and burnout unrecognised until they become overwhelming.
Why whole-person support matters
There is growing awareness of the support and recognition needed for the wider network around the patient, not just the person living with the condition. This whole-person approach recognises that factors such as the emotional, practical and social realities of daily life influence health, not clinical care alone.
The importance of supporting carers
Carer and patient experience are closely connected. Whole health enables engagement, and engagement unlocks optimal outcomes. When carers are well informed, with access to practical resources, and a understanding of treatments and the healthcare system, they are better equipped to help those they care for stay engaged and on track. When carers feel uncertain, strained or isolated, their own wellbeing and their ability to provide ongoing care can suffer. Evidence suggests that carers who receive tailored training, telephone support and access to community resources report feeling less stressed, less isolated and more confident.
Making Health Whole™ – Seeing beyond the disease to the life around it
Making Health Whole™ is Mednet’s approach to whole-person engagement, recognising that the physical, emotional and mental realities of daily life all shape whether someone can engage with their health. To enable engagement, we first need to understand what drives behaviour in real life. Caring responsibilities extend beyond appointments and medications, often affecting routines, work, relationships and emotional wellbeing. Seeing life beyond the disease means designing guidance and resources that reflect the full human context behind each decision.
Seeing it from the inside – A carer’s perspective
I have experienced this personally, caring for my mum through her treatment and recovery from surgery. It reinforced how closely carer and patient wellbeing are connected, and how practical, emotional and informational support can shape the healthcare journey for both. Having access to this type of support helped me manage her appointments and medications, and support her adherence to her treatment plan, including rehabilitation exercises. Feeling informed, reassured and confident in her care made it easier to help her stay engaged with her recovery, and reducing uncertainty let us focus on achieving the best possible outcome.
When healthcare acknowledges the whole person, and the people who support them, everyone is better placed to stay engaged with care. Recognising carers isn’t an add-on to patient support, it’s part of it. The question for healthcare communicators isn’t whether carers matter, it’s whether our strategies are designed with them in mind.
Visit https://www.makinghealthwhole.com/ and get in touch with our team to learn more about what Making Health Whole could mean for your brand.
This content was provided by Mednet