Why We Invested: Joshin
By: Matthew Jones
Tags: Wellness, Caregiving, Insurance, Healthcare, Venture Capital

One in five families in the United States (US) have to manage with some form of special needs. Too often, families are faced with relying on just one caregiver who understands their unique situation. This can cause problems when families need a carer at short notice or if their carer stops being able to care for any reason (think holidays or moving away). Looking to solve this problem, meet Melissa Danielsen and Melanie Fountaine — founders of Joshin.

Melissa and Melanie, co-founders of Joshin

Families

Joshin is a first-of-its-kind disability care offering, in the form of an easy app. Families download Joshin and get matched with a network of local, experienced and screened caregivers. With Joshin, families tap into a pool of high-quality caregivers and can easily communicate the needs of the person receiving care, through the company’s patent-pending Care Plan. The Care Plan ensures that Joshin’s ‘Joymakers’ have the necessary information prior to a care date, resulting in continuity of care and a superior experience.

61 million people in the US have a disability. One in five families has a special need and one in 54 children are diagnosed with autism. These families require support like any other family, both for regularly scheduled care and in situations like date nights, work events and back-up care. But, these families struggle to find quality care for their children or adult loved ones, who often require specialized or experienced caregivers who are familiar with the diverse special needs population.

Today, the company is making a difference in three geographic areas in the US (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Chicago and New York). Joshin was founded by two entrepreneurs with direct experience from the world of caregiving.

Caregivers

Joshin is free to use for caregivers (known as Joymakers), who receive 100 percent of the rate set by the families. On average, they receive $6 per hour more than other platforms; the app offers an excellent degree of schedule flexibility and the opportunity to make multiple bookings. Families can pay for their Joshin membership through their self-directed Medicaid budget, with a private pay option also available.

The Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute (PHI) estimates that the direct care workforce in the US comprises approximately 4.5 million workers. Of these, over 2 million are home care workers, providing personal assistance and health care support to older adults and people with disabilities in both home and community-based settings. The remainder of the 4.5 million work in residential care homes, nursing homes and hospitals.

The number of home care workers has doubled over the last 10 years, as services shift from being delivered in institutional settings (like nursing homes) toward private homes. Personal care aides accounted for 64 percent of total employment growth prior to 2014, suggesting that demand for non-medical assistance is contributing the most to total home care employment growth. It seems to be generally accepted that there are many more people providing paid care ‘unofficially’, i.e. not tracked by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Looking ahead

The opportunity for Joshin is enormous and we’re looking forward to working with Melissa and Melanie. If you think you’d be a great caregiver, don’t wait — sign up! If you’re interested in opportunities to work with this excellent team, take a look here. We’re excited to work with you!