Think of "what to expect when you're expecting" – for growing older.
There is an overwhelming need for older adults to take better control of their health and to make educated decisions about their care – including medical, social, housing, and financial considerations. They need to rely on information that is accurate, free from conflicts of interest, consumer-focused, easy to understand, and that encourages them to take necessary action.
Today's eldercare arena is rife with confusion, and consumers don't know the options well enough to differentiate between good care and marketing hype. We strive to simplify access to high-quality, appropriate care and to allow clients to make educated decisions. We use technology and the virtual world to effect real-world change. This process is unique – it is not an electronic phone book, but instead is a complete process that assesses the clients' needs, analyzes their needs against the care provider offerings, and matches the client with appropriate providers. This ensures that the clients receive information about what they actually need, not only about what they think they need. Most consumers of eldercare information don't fully understand what they need and therefore tend to research along marketing terms, not by what services actually are needed. Our process mitigates this. Finally, we provide "what to expect when you're looking" – a guide to eldercare providers – an education process to teach consumers how to evaluate what they're seeing. Why would anyone need our service?
Traditionally, most families took care of their own with some informal help from their religious community who delivered meals and provided companionship.
As the American population has remained healthy longer and lived longer, it has developed different needs. Allowing older adults to retain their independence as long as possible combined with the increasing numbers of people who need services has resulted in the development of a myriad of choices – each provided by a different organization and becoming virtually impossible to navigate.
Having such a wide variety of care alternatives is good but makes choosing more difficult. There also are choices within each of the above options regarding geography, cultural/religious appropriateness, social activities, cost, and more.
Also, the American population has become more mobile. Consequently, elderly parents often do not live near their adult children. These children also have become the “sandwich” generation – working outside the home, caring for their own children, and caring for elderly parents. This has created a crisis situation for many families.
Most consumers simply do not have the time or knowledge to navigate the eldercare system without help.