A new Chicago startup is working to help nursing homes and other elder care facilities keep their residents busy and happy through its activity coordination platform.
ConnectCareHero, which launched in 2017, makes a software platform for skilled nursing home operators, where they can schedule activities for residents and communicate with residents’ families.
The startup was founded by Osvaldo Montelongo, Tornu Ngwayah and Bob Lee III. Montelongo, ConnectCareHero’s CEO, got the idea for the business after a personal experience with the elder care industry. Montelongo’s father lived in an assisted living center for an extended period of time after developing dementia.
“That’s where I saw all the stuff that families and seniors go through,” Montelongo said.
Montelongo said he always wished he knew more about what his father was doing when he couldn’t be there visiting.
Using ConnectCareHero’s online platform, nursing home operators can request and schedule programming and activities for residents, and send residents’ families a schedule so they have a better idea of how their loved one is spending their time.
ConnectCareHero helps coordinate for third party vendors to come in and facilitate activities for residents. Activities range from cooking classes and gardening tutorials to music therapy sessions. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, activities are being hosted virtually.
ConnectCareHero also uses data and analytics to suggest activities to elder homes based on their location and resident demographics.
The startup currently has seven paying clients in Illinois, but is expecting business to pick up as it receives customer acquisition guidance in the first Techstars Future of Longevity Accelerator. The program is a collaboration between Techstars and Pivotal Ventures, an investment and incubation company created by Melinda Gates.
“It’s been awesome,” Montelongo said of the accelerator. “We’re taking advantage of every single opportunity we get.”
The 13-week program includes 10 startups from around the country, and each receives $120,000 by participating. ConnectCareHero is the only startup from Chicago participating in the program. This year’s accelerator is virtual due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but normally takes place in Washington, D.C.
ConnectCareHero, which has grown to seven employees, was also in the sixth cohort of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and 1871’s Latinx Incubator last year.
