There is a rising need for home care in the U.S. as our population lives longer and the largest generations get older. The industry currently generates about $90 billion in revenues and employs more than 1.7 million people, according to some estimates. But when you’re looking for someone to take care of a loved one, it’s an intimate process that often leaves you feeling a little lost.
Respect is a Chicago-based company that’s bringing technological advances to home care. The company’s app allows you to choose the right provider for your loved one, see when a provider is arriving at the home and easily communicate with them.
“It's a very fragmented market — it's very hard to find high-quality providers,” said co-founder and CEO Bruce Masterson. “Typically what happens when you go looking for a caregiver, they will introduce you to whoever they have next up to bat. You don't get any choice, and that can be kind of tough.”
Respect offers much more information on home care providers, from their specialties to past work, while also providing a platform for continued communication. For example, the caretaker can keep notes throughout the day so you can read about any big events or problems.
But the company also offers caregivers a better way to find steady work. To offer the wide selection of caregivers, Respect hires them as employees, not contractors. The company fully vets the caregivers and provides extensive training to ensure high levels of care.
“Part of changing the market and reimagining home care is sending people that really care about the care recipients,” said co-founder and advisor Ross Kimbarovsky. “If you look at our standards, we accept only 5 percent of people who apply.”
But the company has tech pedigree as well. Kimbarovsky is also the founder and CEO at Startup Foundry, where Respect got its start in 2014. However, he and Masterson quickly spun it out as one of the first projects from the startup incubator. The company now employs about 22 people and operates in Chicago and Milwaukee.
The team is working toward a Series A round soon, but has been bootstrapped so far. Other plans include expansion to other cities. The duo even sees the tech expanding to uses in other industries like babysitting, where customers need extensive info and powerful tools to feel comfortable with home care.
Image via Respect
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