Avanlee Care, a startup focusing on elderly care coordination, released its new “all-in-one” app, Avanlee.
Built from founder and CEO Avanlee Christine’s past of caretaking for her grandparents, the app intends to improve on existing eldercare technology by combining necessary tools and services in one location.
“My grandfather fell ill when I was young, and I spent years watching my family struggle to keep each other on top of his care,” Christine said in a statement.
“That experience showed me there had to be a better way to keep families connected and provide the best care possible, especially with today’s advancements in technology. Since caring for my grandmother, I had to do something that would harness the technology we rely on to run our own lives to change how we care for those we love the most.”
Avanlee runs on a HIPAA-compliant closed network that allows family members to securely communicate via text, call or video call, monitor their loved one’s health through integrations with Google Fit and HealthKit, and schedule medication reminders and doctor appointments.
The app is available now for a free download and offers two subscription options. The essential subscription costs $9.99 a month and includes the option to add up to 10 family members, live support and zero ads. The premium subscription costs $12.99 per month, and offers all the components of the essential package, plus the option to onboard 30 family members. More features are planned.
WHY THIS MATTERS
The United States’ population is undergoing a radical demographic shift. In 2016, roughly 49 million Americans were over the age of 65, representing about 15% of the population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
By 2034, adults over 65 will outnumber children under the age of 18, and by 2060 nearly one in four Americans will be 65 years and older, according to the Census Bureau.
The aging population places pressure on the country’s elder support systems, requiring the creation of new models to care for this growing population segment.
THE LARGER TREND
Digital health is poised to help address the needs of seniors and their caregivers, with players like Papa connecting young adults with seniors to offer companionship and assistance, Spacetalk creating fall-detecting smartwatches, and Birdie helping seniors age healthily at home.
There’s also Assured Allies, which recently landed $18.3 million in a Series A funding round for its platform that helps link seniors to health services.
When it comes to designing technology for seniors, experts suggest designing simple solutions that can be customized for the needs of the elderly.
