“Not alone” – Cariloop uses tech to support families during tough times
Imagine you get a call one day that changes everything: your parent or grandparent is sick and will need ongoing treatment. Suddenly, you are thrust into the role of caregiver for a loved one who once cared for you. This can be a challenging experience and it is natural to feel overwhelmed and stressed. The creators behind Cariloop understand this struggle that many families across America experience and so they launched a platform to offer support to caregivers. Their promise: “No one should EVER go through the process of caring for a loved one alone.”
Founder Steven Theesfeld started the company with co-founder and current CEO Michael Walsh in 2011 in Dallas. Together, they built a support platform that helps caregivers plan and manage care for their loved ones. Cariloop users have on-demand access to a healthcare coach who is a licensed or certified healthcare professional. The healthcare coach can guide families as they make important decisions. Walsh explained in an interview, “We see it happen every day – some sort of health or medical event takes place and suddenly the entire family is scrambling to figure out what to do, how to do it, how much it costs, which options are best, on and on.”Cariloop also provides a platform where families could safely and securely communicate and store important documents like medical records, insurance cards, and other paperwork across mobile devices and desktops, similar to Slack. He said, “Rather than Googling their way through their loved one’s challenges, we’d love to showcase how our platform can save them a significant amount of time, money, and stress along their journey.”
Cariloop partners with corporate employers in delivering its services. Walsh explained the shift to working with companies from working with healthcare providers came when they noticed that most users accessed Cariloop during work hours, namely 10 am to 2 pm. As a result, Cariloop repositioned itself as an employee benefit in 2015. In doing so, Cariloop hopes to assist companies in promoting wellness among employees, especially during difficult, life-changing times.
Are you experimenting with online platforms to deliver support and healthcare like Cariloop? You could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and receive up to 14% back on your expenses. To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today.
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