location during the time they’re on duty.
The rate of pay is determined by providers, with 70 percent of that amount going to the caregiver, and 30 percent to CarePRN for facilitating the arrangement. Wolfe-Greer says that CarePRN issues provider paychecks within two weeks of service, and there are no long-term contracts or minimum number of care hours required of the healthcare workers.
CarePRN isn’t the only company developing technology tools and/or new business models for home healthcare. Other startups working in this field include San Francisco-based Honor and New York-based Hometeam.
So far, CarePRN’s growth has been self-funded, Wolfe-Greer says, but he imagines outside investment capital will be required to scale the business. The app, which has been live for three months and currently lists 41 active providers, covers Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb counties in Southeastern Michigan for now. The goal is to expand CarePRN to other Michigan cities and, eventually, the rest of the country, Wolfe-Greer says.
As he prepares to leave nursing to concentrate on his company full-time, Wolfe-Greer says he’ll spend the rest of the year getting the word out about CarePRN, which includes hosting seminars on caregiver burnout and offering coupons that medical offices can give out to families in need of caregiving assistance, sort of like a free trial of CarePRN. And if families aren’t tech-savvy enough to create a “help wanted” ad in the app, they can call CarePRN and dictate it over the phone.
“We’re hoping [the app will] be a tool that helps empower families struggling to care for their loved ones,” Wolfe-Greer says.
