SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. (PRWEB) SEPTEMBER 27, 2012
One of the greatest challenges facing today’s baby boomer generation is finding and paying for qualified caregivers for aging parents and medically frail relatives who need in-home care. When a group of AARP consumers were presented with a new solution from a startup company that helps them easily find, screen, manage, and pay caregivers who match their families’ needs and budgets, they gave it an enthusiastic thumbs-up. CareLinx, a leading online professional caregiver network, was declared the winner of the AARP Consumers’ Award at the AARP Health Innovation@50+ Live Pitch, held last week in New Orleans.
“Our team is honored and ecstatic to win the AARP Consumers’ Award,” said Sherwin Sheik, CEO of CareLinx. “Many Americans –and baby boomers especially - have loved ones who require care at home that they cannot provide because of distance, work or family obligations. We understand from our own personal experience how hard it is to find the right caregiver to meet our loved ones’ needs. CareLinx’ mission and the services we provide resonated deeply with the AARP consumers that heard our pitch, and their validation of our model is extremely encouraging.”
Carelinx was one of only 10 startup companies chosen from over 80 candidates vying for a chance to pitch to Venture Capitalist and AARP members during the 2012 Life@50+ AARP National Event & Expo in New Orleans. The event was attended by over 20,000 AARP members and guests from the U.S. and abroad.CareLinx’s personalized caregiver matching services offer invaluable resources to address varying levels of care needs, many of which are not available through home care agencies and other services. Beyond caregiver matching, CareLinx offers the tools needed to easily manage home care online, and to make home care more affordable and accessible for everyone. Families hiring caregivers through CareLinx are saving thousands per year vs traditional methods.
The AARP Health Innovation @50+ LivePitch featured a unique dual pitch format that will have the startups pitching both investors and consumers. AARP members were invited to hear the startup pitches tailored just for them after the competitors pitched to investors earlier in the day. The AARP consumer audience was encouraged to give the presenting companies feedback on how their products and services could better serve their needs.
