Winston-Salem Entrepreneur Launches Aging-At-Home Alternative

    WINSTON-SALEM, NC, February 11, 2019 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Winston-Salem's fast-growing entrepreneurial ecosystem adds one more company to its ranks as CarePods, an affordable at-home alternative to traditional senior care, launches its inaugural 'Pod' in February. According to Founder and CEO Katie Davis, a CarePod is a group of 25 older adults from the same local community who each wish to age at home receiving affordable, non-intrusive care and other life-enhancing services. After serving as an executive in the senior housing industry for over a decade, Davis says the long-term-care industry is ripe for a makeover.

"Ask anyone you know who has sought care for themselves or for a loved one and they'll tell you: navigating providers ranges from confusing to impossible and from expensive to outrageously expensive. That's compounded by the fact that assisted living communities and other providers routinely pay caregivers less than $11.00 per hour. How can we truly improve the quality of care when caregivers can make more delivering a pizza than they can working in this industry?"

By organizing and delivering services in a geo-centric Pod, CarePods can not only keep costs down but it can also pay market-best salaries and offer consistent scheduling to attract top staff. Clients pay a fixed monthly subscription fee of $1,595 which includes regular home wellness visits and oversight by a Registered Nurse, a 24/7 emergency response service, daily meals delivered to the home, a pharmacist to monitor their medication regimen, an in-home personal training program and a virtual assistant who coordinates transportation and clients' schedules.

"We take many of the benefits and amenities offered in traditional independent or assisted living communities and deliver it to our client's home for half the price," Davis said. "Perhaps most importantly, we work in coordination with local home care and senior care providers to ensure that if you do need more care in the future, you have a dedicated advocate in place to help you and your family navigate the process."

Winston-Salem has long been home to various senior care and assisted living communities, but CarePods will be the first of its kind to deliver a proprietary combination of services to older adults at home. Davis says Winston's strong arts and culture scene, access to affordable living and moderate weather has made it a wonderful city for aging adults. And an even better city for start-ups.

"I moved to Winston about a year ago by way of St. Louis and Charlotte and I really didn't know what to expect," said Davis. "What I've since observed is that this community and its people are innovative, diverse and wholly supportive of the average small business owner. This is a city that believes in and understands great business success stories."

CarePods is now enrolling older adults in or within a 15-mile radius of downtown Winston-Salem with the goal of growing regionally and nationally over time. No matter the outcome, Davis says stepping out of an executive position in the senior housing industry to launch CarePods was the best decision she ever made.

"I believe aging is an achievement; not an illness. Eight-five percent of older adults, and their Baby Boomer and Generation-X adult children, say they want to age at home instead of in a senior care facility. CarePods and so many other companies stand at the cross-section of rapidly evolving consumer preferences and the ability to do something about it. I hope 20 years from now, the idea of sending your loved one 'away' for routine care management will be a relic of days gone by."

About CarePods
Founded in Winston-Salem, NC in 2018, CarePods is an affordable, at-home alternative to traditional long-term care. Using a revolutionary community care concept, CarePods team members are dedicated to a Pod of no more than 25 members at a time, ensuring consistently excellent service for our clients and allowing us to offer market-best pay and working conditions. For less than half the cost of traditional senior care options, PodMembers receive a combination of care management and lifestyle support services to help them age-in-place independently and sustainably. CarePods believes that 'Aging is an achievement; not an illness,' and is dedicated to transforming the aging-at-home experience for older adults everywhere. To find a Pod near you, visit https://findyourpod.com or call us at 336-715-7218.

# # #