In the last few years, Charlotte founder Daphney Vick searched extensively to find the best caregiver for her father, who was battling a severe illness.
That search grew more difficult in her father’s final two years, when his illness intensified and Vick’s mother was his primary caretaker. Vick and her family couldn't find a dependable in-home aide who could provide meals to fit her father’s strict dietary needs and could speak his French language.
“I heard my mom crying about how those final two years of his life were so full of stress, and she didn't have time to simply love him and enjoy those remaining moments of the life they shared for over 40 years,” Vick said. “I think that's the moment that broke my heart.”
After her father died last year, Vick made it her vow to help solve situations like her family’s for others. She is now the founder and owner of Carefluent, an in-home, nonmedical care startup that puts an emphasis on personalization.
Charlotte-based Carefluent, founded in February, matches care seekers with in-home aides who can service the customer’s unique preferences. The startup, which calls its workers care companions, offers services including exercise, medication reminders, light housekeeping, shopping, meal prep, transportation, toileting, bathing and grooming, according to the Carefluent website.
Vick said the startup executed a soft launch in April, and Carefluent is now available in these 11 cities across the Carolinas: Charlotte, Fort Mill, Rock Hill, Durham, Greensboro, Greenville — in both states, Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Charleston and Columbia.
The founder said she is actively seeking partnerships with employers that would ensure Carefluent is offered as a caregiving benefit. She is also looking to expand into other states with high populations of employed workers and senior residents.
The bigger picture
Carefluent was founded with a focus on “social, cultural and linguistic needs” as the U.S. population ages daily, Vick said.
Roughly 11,000 Americans age into Medicare daily, and that number is rising amid the current uncertain economic environment, according to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. The Medicare population, which includes people age 65 and older, is expected to increase to more than 80 million beneficiaries by 2030. It was 54 million in 2015, Blue Shield states.
Vick said she and her family became burned out while taking care of her father. It’s a growing trend among employed caretakers across America.
About 61% of U.S. caregivers cut back work hours, take a leave of absence or receive a warning about performance or attendance, according to Family Caregiver Alliance. Roughly 49% arrive late, leave early or take time off. And 6% of caregivers quit working entirely.
Meanwhile, according to FCA, in-home aides often suffer loss of wages, health insurance, retirement savings, Social Security and other job benefits.
“We need better support in the (caregiver) workplace,” Vick said. “This needs to be a broader conversation.”
How Carefluent works
The startup has hired 68 care companions, and Vick said she expects that number to rise quickly. Companions are paid more based on skills, such as speaking a foreign language, she said.
Care seekers first sign up on the Carefluent website and make a subscription account to connect with the network of companions. Once applicants build their profile, they are matched with a handful of caretakers that best fit their preferences.
Applicants have the option to virtually interview a care companion to select the best match. Care seekers would then schedule an appointment, and they would receive an alert that lets them know when the in-home aide is arriving.
Carefluent sends care seekers a photo of the caregiver’s driver’s license and license plate prior to arrival as safety precautions, Vick said.
“Finding that right care companion, finding that right fit for you and for your loved one — I think those are the things that make us different,” she added. “We didn't build a business and think about these things afterwards. We built a business around these concepts.”
