Ten years ago, eCare21.com CEO and president Vadim Cherdak, PhD, wasn’t even thinking about senior healthcare. He worked in computer programming for Citigroup and other Fortune100 companies. When he had to arrange care for relatives, everything changed for him.
“I found out firsthand how complicated and underdeveloped senior homecare technology was,” said Dr. Cherdak.
After a few months, he started his own homecare company. After developing it and selling it to investors, he’s now dedicated his career to developing homecare technology to move the industry forward.
That dedication materialized in the form of eCare21. Started around a year ago, the company seeks to build a new approach to home and senior care and engage the families of those who need assistance. Wearable technology and mobile devices lay at the core of the company’s mission, and they hope to utilize these technologies to revolutionize the industry.
As of now, eCare21 has both Android and iPhone platforms that are functional and free to anyone. Essentially, these platforms look to connect and engage seniors and their loved ones by keeping everyone updated on what’s going on.
The platform features elements like real-time tracking of activity and location, fall alert in case of an emergency, and a “wellness information footprint” that keeps track of users’ medical details.
By integrating medical records and information into mobile technologies and wearable devices, eCare21 hopes to give everyone –doctors, nurses, emergency services, and family members– quicker, easier access to senior citizens. In making this crucial information more accessible, they hope to improve the lives and safety of seniors.
As part of their business model, all this functionality is completely free. Therefore, the company finds profit in other elements of the business strategy. For example, although the app is free, eCare21 charges for integration or additional wearable devices. This way, the company can help seniors and their families while also making a profit.
The wearable technology industry is growing rapidly, and devices can now improve medical care in a significant way. For example, wearable devices can now track specific things like blood pressure, heart rate, and blood sugar, so eCare21 makes sure their system can be readily customized.
“Our system can be personally tailored to match each individual,” said Dr. Cherdak. This means that one user can track their heart rate and share it with their family using the platform, while another can track their blood pressure and keep their doctor or nurse in the loop.
Obviously, with any system that uses medical records, security is a vital element. eCare21 realized this and made a specific network security team to store and protect all personal and health information in secure databases. This way, both seniors and caretakers can ensure that no private information is ever at risk.
The company is currently focusing on spreading the word. They’re looking for investors to support marking and sales, and are trying out multiple strategies to help the platform pick up steam. The first is social media, such as Facebook, where eCare21 hopes to engage with families and invite them to participate in the system. The second is homecare assistance companies, whom they hope to partner with so that the company can be recommended to people who truly need the system.
As new technology develops, eCare21.com plans to be there every step of the way, integrating any possible system into the platform to make homecare more convenient for users. It’s an exciting time for the company, as technologies like the Apple Watch and wearable medical devices popularize and provide more avenues for the company to become relevant.
As more people start using and subscribing to the system, Cherdak will see his vision develop: “To fill social networks and circles of care around every client and provide everyone in the system the opportunity to care.”
