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March 24, 2026
Caregiving spans every stage of life—from navigating pregnancy and parenting to supporting aging parents and children with complex needs. While 73% of the workforce has some form of caregiving responsibilities, many don’t know how to navigate systems of support. The resulting “confidence gap” prevents caregivers from accessing critical assistance when they need it most.
The 46-point disparity
Cleo’s Family Health Index™ (FHI) measures seven critical dimensions of family health, including Confidence, Caregiving Balance, and Mental Health. When we look at the data, the largest gap between low-risk and high-risk groups is found in the Confidence domain—an individual’s feeling of self-efficacy in accessing support.
The disparity is staggering:
- 82% of low-risk members report feeling confident in their ability to get support
- Only 36% of high-risk members feel the same
This 46-point gap indicates that the more overwhelmed a caregiver becomes, the less they believe they can navigate the very systems—like healthcare and employer benefits—designed to help them.
Why confidence matters for workforce health
This lack of confidence is a leading indicator of workforce health and performance risk. High-risk caregivers who lack the confidence to seek help are:
- 11 times more likely to feel lonely or isolated most of the time or always
- 6 times more likely to rate their own health as “poor” or “fair”
- 4.6 times more likely to report burnout and an inability to complete work tasks
When employees are too overwhelmed to advocate for themselves, they are more likely to delay care, leading to higher medical claims—averaging $1,000 PMPM for high-risk members compared to $600 for those at lower risk.
Closing the gap: Building caregiver self-efficacy
To move a member from “high-risk” to “low-risk,” organizations should focus on building self-efficacy through proactive guidance. This includes 1:1 guidance and concierge service to help caregivers:
- Identify needs: Understand what they and their families need both now and in the future
- Navigate ecosystems: Learn how to locate and vet high-quality support, from child care centers to medical centers of excellence
- Self-advocate: Provide specific questions and frameworks for doctor visits and care provider consultations
- Trust experience: Build pathways for self-reflection to determine if a chosen solution is actually working
The data is clear: when caregiver burnout risk scores improve, we see a corresponding 48% improvement in confidence and self-care. By making the invisible visible and providing a unified clinical foundation, organizations can help their most vulnerable employees regain the confidence to lead healthy, productive lives at home and at work.
