CareFamily Gives Cash-Strapped Seniors in Denver a New Choice for Home Care

VIRGINA BEACH, VA--(Marketwire - Oct 2, 2012) - CareFamily, a pioneer in caregiver matching and consumer-directed home care for seniors, today announced it has started providing services for Denver and the surrounding metropolitan area. Families who are weary from caring for loved ones themselves, but cannot afford home care at agency prices, can now hire qualified caregivers for 30-40% less and manage care remotely. CareFamily also creates new private employment opportunities for caregivers where they make better pay and have a safety net for success.

CareFamily is an innovative caregiver matching service where families choose the caregiver, wage, hours and type of care services. At www.carefamily.com, families are instantly matched to qualified caregivers who meet their specific needs and have been pre-screened, background checked and bonded. CareFamily goes well beyond the initial matching by providing liability insurance, payroll, tax and remote care management services -- simplifying the administrative aspect of managing in-home care.

"Many seniors want to stay in their own homes, but often can't afford the high cost of agency home care or need more flexibility than agencies can offer," said Tom Knox, CEO of CareFamily and former executive with Dish Network in Englewood, Colorado. "Our innovative business model and use of technology gives families more control over the care of their loved ones at a significantly lower cost -- while still providing the protection of background checks, bonding and liability insurance."

According to the Denver Commission on Aging, there will be a 28 percent increase in people over the age of 60 in Colorado between 2010 and 2015. By 2015, the study estimates that Denver County will have more than 116,558 people age 60 and older. (Source: Data on Aging U.S. and Colorado Population report, Courtesy of the Denver Commission on Aging.) The overwhelming majority of seniors -- 89% according to an AARP survey -- prefer to age in their own homes rather than live in an assisted living facility or nursing home.

"When my dad was discharged from the hospital, they wanted to put him in a nursing home," said Mary Witaschek, a former CareFamily client living in the Denver area. "We wanted him to be at home, but we weren't sure we could afford it. I searched online, found CareFamily and the next day hired a qualified, incredibly sweet caregiver who was willing to work a split shift! CareFamily made it possible to keep my dad at home because we got the most care for the price we could afford."

Families have the benefit of hiring and working directly with caregivers to develop personalized care plans, which can be managed remotely at www.carefamily.com. With CareFamily, each family is assigned a professional care coordinator to help develop a customized home care plan for their loved one -- including choosing the caregiver, services, hours and wages. The professional care coordinator is available throughout the duration of care to help the family as their needs change.

"Having the ability to choose a caregiver makes a huge difference," added Witaschek. "My father could be grumpy and I knew he'd respond best to someone with a sweet, patient bedside manner. When I interviewed Xenia, I knew she would be a good fit. My dad adored her! She made his last weeks pleasant and comfortable -- which you can't put a price on."

CareFamily services include:

• Online Matching - Connects families with pre-screened, qualified and bonded caregivers.

• Liability Insurance & Payroll Services - Simplify payment and tax responsibilities while offering peace-of-mind.

• Personalized Care Plans - Help families develop a customized care plan for their loved one.

• Remote Care Management Tools - Empower families to remotely oversee day-to-day care from any location.

How it Works
CareFamily offers the first online matching service for the senior home care industry. After completing a short online questionnaire, care-seekers are matched with caregivers based on skills, needs, location and other pertinent criteria. Families seeking care simply go to www.carefamily.com and click on 'Find Caregivers.' After completing a short online questionnaire, they are instantly given up to the five best caregiver matches. The care-seeker can then either contact the matched caregivers to set up an interview or search for additional caregivers in their area. There is no fee for the online matching service; care-seeking families pay only the published hourly rate on the caregiver's profile.

About CareFamily
CareFamily, an online caregiver matching and care management service for seniors, offers families a personalized, more affordable and safer way to find and manage qualified caregivers. The company's unique online matching service instantly connects families with pre-screened, qualified and bonded caregivers within a desired geographic area. CareFamily liability insurance and payroll services offer peace-of-mind and simplify payment and tax responsibilities. CareFamily Remote Care Management tools empower families to effectively oversee day-to-day care from any location. Headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, CareFamily combines the best practices of a traditional home care agency with the ease and convenience of the internet. For more information visit www.carefamily.com.

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