Tend wraps around the person behind the person — the spouse lifting, the daughter advocating, the aide improvising. We offer respite planning, body mechanics coaching, and emotional support for those caring for loved ones living with severe obesity.
There's no wrong answer here. We just want to understand your situation.
Bariatric caregiving is unlike any other kind of care. The physical demands, the equipment complexity, the system navigation — and the emotional weight of loving someone whose body is also a medical environment. You've been managing all of it alone.
The alarm goes off. Again. You slide out of bed before your partner wakes, pull on your back, and start the turn. No one sees this. No one thanks you for this.
One-on-one sessions with a physical therapist who specializes in bariatric transfers — protecting your back so you can keep showing up.
The standard hospital bed maxes at 350 lbs. The shower chair that arrived last week broke on day two. Medicaid doesn't cover what you actually need.
We map your home environment and connect you with bariatric-certified suppliers — often finding coverage pathways you didn't know existed.
You love them. You also dread Monday. That dread doesn't make you a bad person — it makes you human. But it eats at you in ways you can't explain to anyone.
We find, vet, and schedule bariatric-competent respite care — so you can take a full day off without spending it worrying about who's there.
Not generic caregiver support. Bariatric-specific, body-aware, and designed around the real constraints of caring for a loved one whose weight creates unique physical and logistical demands.
A bariatric-specialized physical therapist teaches you safe transfer techniques, lift positioning, and repositioning protocols — protecting your spine for the long haul. Remote sessions available.
We find, vet, and schedule bariatric-competent relief caregivers in your area — people trained on 400+ lb transfers, bariatric beds, and skin care protocols. You get a real day off.
A certified DME specialist assesses your home environment and loved one's needs, then identifies bariatric-rated equipment with pathways through insurance, Medicaid, and manufacturer programs.
Weekly small-group sessions (6–8 people) with others caring for loved ones with severe obesity. Facilitated by a licensed counselor who understands the specific emotional terrain of this work.
We've earned this conversation. The logistical burdens are real — but underneath them is something harder to name. These are the things our caregivers have told us, in their own voices.
"I called my brother at midnight and said I can't do this anymore. Not the lifting — the not knowing. Tend was the first place that said, yes, this is genuinely hard, and here's what you can do tonight."
"My back is shot. I've been doing the transfers alone because the home aide quit and the agency can't find someone bariatric-trained. The body mechanics coach showed me three things in 45 minutes that changed everything."
"Nobody talks about what this does to you. I've had three back injuries. I love my clients but I was one more transfer away from leaving the profession. The support group — just knowing others understand — I stayed."
It happens suddenly — a decrease in your ability to empathize with the person you're caring for. It doesn't mean you've stopped loving them. It means you've been running on empty for too long.
Before this, you were a daughter, a partner, a professional. Now you're a caregiver first. The person you were before is still there — we help you find the thread back to them.
Grieving someone who is still alive — their former self, your former relationship, the future you'd planned. This is real grief. It deserves real support.
A 24-point checklist covering bariatric bed specifications, bathroom safety modifications, transfer equipment, and floor load capacity — written by occupational therapists who specialize in bariatric home care.
