The Uber Of Senior Care - the New Frontier of Gig Economies

Heidi Sundström, a 93-year-old woman with Alzheimer's disease living in Helsinki, visits a 93-year-old woman living with dementia one day a week. As part of Sundström's duties around the house, he does chores such as doing the dishes and vacuuming. However, she and Helka spend most of their time together hanging out, walking, and singing the songs that they love.

‍

Sundström works for Gubbe, a Finnish technology company where older people and their families are able to hire help when they are in need of eldercare assistance.

‍

In the U.S. and abroad, a variety of platforms are emerging that aim to make it easier for people to obtain eldercare on a variety of levels. Gubbe is one of them.

‍

It is becoming more and more common for individuals and families to be faced with challenges related to providing care to aging population members. In fact, the majority of adults over the age of 50 wish to remain at home as they grow older - three-quarters of them want to stay at home as they age. 

‍

While the arrangement can be beneficial in terms of access to caregiving and socialization, it can also come with some drawbacks.

‍

Despite the fact that Gubbe has been expanding in European countries, there are also platforms in the United States that offer care services. In a way, Alice Care, which is based in California, operates similarly to DoorDash DASH or Uber UBER, allowing those in need of caregivers to hire them on a short-term basis for a wide range of reasons. 

‍

In addition, Papa offers a "companion care" service, which aims to reduce loneliness and stress among the family members who take care of the elderly. Over 100 Medicare Advantage plans, as well as some employer and Medicaid plans, provide older people with the opportunity to connect with "pals," who maintain regular contact with them and help them with nonmedical tasks on a daily basis.

‍

Home care demand

According to Jennifer Wolff, a professor of public health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the vast majority of Americans who require care rely on family members or other unpaid caregivers for their support.

‍

Only a small percentage of people use paid care, and only a very small percentage of people rely solely on paid care. Wolff emphasizes that, in general, paid caregiving help is quite expensive, which can make it financially prohibitive for many people to engage in it. 

‍

Bringing other people into your home can also be a problem, as many households are wary of inviting other people into their homes. Moreover, leaving a loved one in the care of someone else can pose a great deal of anxiety for those who are leaving them.

‍

Wolff, however, believes that gig economy services that are used for the provision of care help have a great deal of potential. It seems to be an area where there is a huge amount of pent-up demand that has yet to be exploited, according to her. People might be able to access paid care services when they need them if they had access to a platform that could provide care support, which does not pose a significant financial burden.

‍

“It has also been reported that those who work in caregiving may benefit from this program as well,” according to her. Direct care workers, for example, may also find platforms to be attractive, because they offer them opportunities for career advancement with a variety of opportunities for flexibility.

‍

Establishing connections

After Sandra Lounamaa's grandfather died, her family needed help with taking care of Lounamaa's grandmother after her grandfather died. Lounamaa explains that when they looked into services in Finland, they couldn't find the companionship and care that they needed.

‍

There were different nurses who came every time, which didn't give the nurses a chance to build relationships with each other. In addition, the caregivers were not keeping in touch with the family during their visit, so family members couldn't ask them if they could go for a walk or make dinner during their visit.

‍

“There was no telling who would come when they would come, and they only had about fifteen minutes to do the necessary stuff,” Lounamaa explained.

‍

Since four years ago, Lounamaa has been collaborating with her friend Meri-Tuuli Laaksonen to launch Gubbe in Finland, a project that has received a positive response.

‍

Currently, the company has about a thousand clients in Finland, and it has expanded to other countries such as Sweden and the UK as well. The company's CEO, Lounamaa, says it plans to continue growing and hopes to expand to the United States as well.

‍

Gubbe conducted a study in seven Finnish municipalities in the hopes of finding out whether or not the service increases older people's level of physical activity and their time spent outdoors. At Gubbe, we are committed to building relationships with our customers. 

‍

With the help of the service, older people who require assistance or companionship can be matched with helpers, taking into account their location, physical condition, and interests, in addition to other factors.

‍

It has been Sundström's pleasure to spend time with older adults ever since he was a musician and kindergarten teacher. Throughout her life, she was very close to her late grandmother - the two of them sang karaoke together on many occasions. The activities that Heidi does with Helka are similar to those that she used to do with her grandmother when she was growing up.

‍

It is customary for Sundström to call Helka in advance of her visit in order to remind her of their appointment. In order to let Helka know she's the one knocking, she knocks three times on the door. Helka's family is contacted by Sundström after their appointment to find out what she needs after their appointment. It is evident that she enjoys the relationship that has developed between them.

‍

“Helka has a terrible memory and she always remembers me, which is very nice since she has such a bad memory," she says. The process of finding a helper through Gubbe is usually quick and easy, and the first meeting can often start within a few days. An hourly rate of 40 euros (about 43 dollars) is charged for each visit. Afterward, the helper will receive a payment of 10 euros for his or her services. The Lounamaa family receives a lot of positive feedback from family members who live far away from their older relatives, who continue to receive regular updates after a visit from Gubbe.

‍

“Taking care of older loved ones can be a challenging task for those of us who live busy lives,” Lounamaa says. “You feel calm when you know that your loved one will be visiting the same, lovely Gubbe helpers."

‍

Adaptability to care needs

Home care is available through an app for those who reside in the Sacramento, California area and may need a helping hand - often within the hour - if they need it.

‍

Stephanie Dupzyk, a co-founder and administrator of Alice Care, explains that it was founded in January 2022 and provides home care services without the financial commitments or minimum hourly requirements that are associated with many traditional agencies.

‍

Due to Dupzyk's family's experience caring for her mother-in-law's mother-in-law, who was suffering from Alzheimer's disease, Alice Care was born. There is typically a commitment requirement of a minimum of four hours and a long-term commitment requirement in many agencies. 

‍

In Dupzyk's opinion, however, there are some people seeking professional care help who don't need or want that much time. It's true that there are a lot of people out there who need just some services from home care, she explains, “but they don't need that for four hours, nor do they want someone in their house for that long.” As per Dupzyk, some Alice Care clients have helpers for several hours at a time, and some people have aides come to their homes every day at the same time to assist with tasks such as getting out of bed at the beginning of the day.

‍

The caregivers at Alice Care are certified nursing assistants, and they are employees, not contractors. A notification will be sent to the user when the Alice Care app is placed in the area, and they will have the option to accept it or not.

‍

In contrast to Gubbe, the helpers are always changing from one visit to another. However, the platform emphasizes the fact that it is flexible. It is possible to schedule visits in advance or to put in a request and have someone arrive within a few hours of the request being made. An hourly fee of $45 is charged for all visits.

‍

Those who enjoy flexibility may also benefit from working for a company that offers flexible working hours. A company called Alice Care plans to expand to San Diego in 2023 and would like to expand across the country as well.

‍

Throughout the year, Dupzyk receives inquiries from people all over the country. As she sees it, this reflects the needs of a large number of families. She goes on to state that "the traditional model is broken, and it does not work for a lot of people."