I have heard from a number of folks in recent months about the businesses they are starting, some number of whom have published what they want to do or are doing on the Forum link on this site. So I would like to ask and answer a few questions about doing so. In particular:
Concord resident Jim Reynolds last month opened Caring Companion Connections, a home services agency that adds a 21st century twist to in-home elder care.
CCC’s caregivers, known as Companions, use smartphones, such as BlackBerrys, to upload photos, activity logs and daily reports to a Web portal tied into a landline at the client’s location and viewable by loved ones in other cities or towns.
This has been going on for some time -- the slow or no growth in the home security industry -- and the potential for expanding into a new line of business offering Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS), aka 'medical alarms'. This security industry article outlines the great opportunity for home security providers and their 'rapid response' (RMR) call center vendors.
November is National Caregivers Awareness Month -- and with those 85+ turning out to be the fastest growing population in the US, we know there are many stressed caregivers out there. And more to come, with 65% of those over 65 will require some long-term care during their lives.
I was compelled to attend. AAHSA 2009 "Changing Lives" Conference -- 9000 people, 425 exhibitors. This was a beautiful (and may soon be gone) venue -- McCormick Place Lakeside Center. Gorgeous multi-story windows facing the 180 degree panorama of nearly boat-free Lake Michigan.
At least with directory sites -- you basically know where you stand -- somewhere in them is a business model for listing long-term care housing and service directory entries, referring and being compensated for leads about those entries, and advertising. Not so with caregiving portals. Here, if there is a business motive, it's about advertising and a cut of the commerce, if any, on the site.
Recently Caring.com (targeting family caregivers) acquired Gilbert Guide (a senior care directory, also aimed at family caregivers) -- combined firm gets more critical mass and content than either had separately. What happens now and is it significant? I talked with Caring.com's CEO Andy Cohen and Gilbert Guide's CEO Jill Gilbert to try to figure it out.
