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TMCNet: CareFamily Offers First Remote Caregiver Management Services for Seniors

[December 18, 2012]

CareFamily Offers First Remote Caregiver Management Services for Seniors

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, Dec 18, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- CareFamily, a pioneer in online caregiver matching and self-directed home care for seniors, today announced new Remote Care Management Tools and Services that empower families to effectively manage the day-to-day care of elderly family members, while living in different locations. CareFamily's innovative use of technology allows seniors to remain in their own home, while family members closely monitor their care and save one-third the cost of a typical home care agency.
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"One of the largest problems confronting Americans today is the cost of long-term care for seniors," said Tom Knox, CEO and founder of CareFamily. "People are living longer and want to stay in their own homes -- but they often need help with daily activities. Relying on family members is not an option for many seniors, whose children have moved and reside in different geographic areas. Our Remote Care Management Tools and Services leverage technology to cut costs while ensuring that the elderly can be well taken care of -- without the need to uproot seniors and disrupt families." An overwhelming majority of seniors -- 89% based on an AARP survey -- prefer to age in their own homes rather than live in an assisted living facility or nursing home. But studies show that after age 65, Americans have a 70% chance of needing help with daily activities, such as dressing, bathing and eating, according to the American Society on Aging. The responsibility to care for elderly family members is most often provided by adult children, although less than half of the adults in the U.S. live within 50 miles of their parents (Booth, Johnson, White & Edwards, 1991).

"While we live in Illinois, my Dad enjoys spending his winters down in Texas," said Ken Lamb, CareFamily client. "He had taken ill a couple of years ago while away. He didn't always communicate, so we often didn't have the information we needed about his condition or how he was doing. We are very pleased to have found CareFamily. His caregiver corresponds with us every day on email and uses the CareFamily Care Notes to update us on how he's doing, including his doctor's appointments and any changes in his medications. Having another set of eyes on him has given us great peace of mind." CareFamily's Remote Care service empowers families to manage all aspects of care from any location. Families can avoid uprooting elderly parents or their own family in order to care for loved ones.

These new services and tools are offered as part of the CareFamily service, which is 30% less than the average home care agency fee.

-- Caregiver Attendance Monitoring - Caregiver check in/check out phone service with late and no-show alerts sent to family members via phone or email.

-- Medication & Appointment Reminders - Personalized phone reminders to take medications or go to an appointment with no-response alerts sent to family members via phone, email or text.

-- Electronic Care Notes - Caregiver audio or text notes, which are sent to family members via email or text and accessible through the CareFamily portal.

-- Electronic Care Plan Sharing - Personalized care plans are accessible to family members, physicians and emergency room doctors via an online portal or fax.

-- Online Medication Tracking & Review - Expert medication review helps identify potential adverse interactions and prevent health complications.

-- Electronic Record Storage - Electronic document storage for health-related records for convenient reporting to long-term care insurance companies.

CareFamily's self-directed care service offers a personalized, flexible and more affordable alternative to agencies, and is safer than relying on online listing services or classified ads to find and manage caregivers. CareFamily has more than 45,000 registered caregivers available in 17 states and has serviced hundreds of families during the past year. CareFamily services include: -- Online Care Assessment - Quickly identifies the type of care a loved one needs and assists in developing a care strategy.

-- Online Caregiver Matching - Connects families with pre-screened, qualified and bonded caregivers.

-- Payroll, Tax and Insurance Services - Automates caregiver payments, simplifies tax and insurance responsibilities and provides detailed reports.

-- Personal Care Coordinator - A professional care coordinator guides families through the caregiver hiring process, including determining services, hours and wages. The coordinator helps create a personalized care plan available online and remains as a resource to the family to help with any issues that arise with day-to-day caregiver management.

-- Remote Care Management - Empowers families to remotely oversee day-to-day care from any location.

About CareFamily CareFamily, a pioneer in online caregiver matching and self-directed home care for seniors, offers families a personalized, more affordable and safer way to find and manage qualified caregivers. The company's unique online matching service instantly connects families with pre-screened, qualified and bonded caregivers within a desired geographic area. CareFamily liability insurance and payroll services offer peace-of-mind and simplify payment and tax responsibilities. CareFamily Remote Care Management tools empower families to effectively oversee day-to-day care from any location. Headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, CareFamily combines the best practices of a traditional home care agency with the ease and convenience of the internet. For more information, visit www.carefamily.com/ or call 877-444-4112.

All trademarks and registered trademarks in this document are the properties of their respective owners.

Media Contact Renee Newby Newby Public Relations 757-651-6554 Email Contact SOURCE: CareFamily http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct id=FAB3ADDDF9E5F8CE

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