Halifax-based Home + Health has created an app to streamline the provision and receipt of healthcare and other services for seniors at home. The new company is now seeking financial investment and partners to refine its product and boost public awareness.

To date, the 18-month-old venture has been bootstrapped by founders Alan MacKeen, Managing Partner, and Principal Matt Shaw. The company was inspired by the experiences of Shaw and his siblings as they tried to provide care for their parents.

“Given the fact my parents’ one wish was to remain at home, we put together a program that allowed them to do just that, despite some complications,” Shaw, a long-time tech entrepreneur, told Entrevestor. 

“The logistics were very time-consuming. I thought that if we could bring qualified people together under one umbrella, it would simplify the process…The app allows for direct communication between family members, seniors, and providers.”

Shaw and MacKeen said their product is timely: within five years there will be more than 7 million Canadians aged over 65, and the Canadian home care market is valued at more than $25 billion. Around 95 percent of seniors would prefer to remain at home as they age rather than go into care, they said.

The founders have already launched the platform to service providers and will open it up to clients this week.

Providers with profiles on the site are not just care workers. They include those offering a range of services from gardening, to snow-shovelling and dog-walking.

“We wanted to try and look at all the moving pieces that keep someone at home,” explained Shaw.

The app is free to download and use. Providers undergo a robust vetting process before being permitted to upload their profile, the founders said.

“Trust is a huge component of this,” said Shaw. “All confirmations and arrangements are automated and payments to providers can be made with a digital wallet so users don’t have to enter their own credit card.”

Care workers set their own rates when they create their profile. Those with extra experience and qualifications, can charge a premium. The company makes money by adding an administrative fee to whatever the provider chooses to charge for their services. 

The system aims to give gig workers greater independence and flexibility in setting their own schedules. It also facilitates culturally appropriate care, allowing clients to receive care from people from similar backgrounds. Providers are covered by insurance while they are on site, and a referral bonus program allows providers who refer other quality workers to receive an ongoing referral income stream.

The founders say they do not know of a similar product in Canada. They say most of their competitors are using apps to manage bricks and mortar spaces, and the breadth of services they offer is unusual.

Currently, the company employs 3.5 people – the two founders, a tech partner, and part-time staff who vet providers’ credentials and references.

The founders plan to refine their product and business in Nova Scotia and then scale. The app allows for the geofencing of locations, so they are looking at a franchise model to move into larger cities across the country.

“All service providers are independent contractors so it’s about bringing the two sides together through the technology,” said MacKeen, who has more than 35 years experience in the healthcare industry. “It doesn’t require a robust staff to set up. It needs local advertising and partnerships. It’s a community-focused platform.”

The founders say the app could be useful to many people, including those seeking respite care, childcare, tutors, and post-op care.

“This is a true passion project for both of us,” said MacKeen. “Neither of us is that young. We joke that we are building this app for ourselves.”