Caring.com is an online senior care platform based in Charlotte, North Carolina.[1][2]

Caring.com
Headquarters,
United States
Area servedUnited States
Founder(s)
  • Andy Cohen
  • Steve Fram
  • Jim Scott
IndustrySenior care
URLwww.caring.com
Launched2007; 17 years ago (2007)

History

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Caring.com was founded by Andy Cohen, Steve Fram, and Jim Scott in 2007.[2] It was inspired by Cohen's experience of caring for his mother during her fatal lung cancer illness.[3][4] In the same year, it received $6 million in Series A funding from DCMand Split Rock Partners.[5][6]

In 2010, Caring.com introduced an online tool that provided guidance on Alzheimer's care, adjusting according to variations in patients' symptoms and behaviors as reported by their family caregiver.[7][8] In October 2009, it acquired Gilbert Guide, an online guide for senior housing, which it later folded into its directory and discontinued as a separate website.[3][9][10] In the same year, it received a $10 million Series B funding from various firms.[11] The following year, in 2010, it raised an additional $4 million from Intel Capital.[12][13]

In May 2014, Bankrate acquired Caring.com for $54 million.[4]

In January 2015, Caring.com acquired SeniorHomes.com.[14][15]

In 2017, Red Ventures acquired Bankrate, the owner of Caring.com at that time, and as a result, it divested its investment from Caring.com.[16][17]

In 2019, Caring.com moved its headquarters from San Mateo, California to Charlotte, North Carolina.[18][19]

In March 2020, Caring.com acquired SeniorAdvice.com, a website based in Austin, Texas.[20]

Throughout its history, Caring.com has conducted original market research and consumer surveys to release senior care and senior living reports, including its annual Wills & Estate Planning Study since 2015 and its annual Best States for Senior Living Report.[21][22][23]

Platform

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Caring.com is an online platform that provides resources on aging and caregiving.[24][25] It also provides a caregiver resource center and search functions for finding assisted living and home care services,[24][26] with an online directory hosting consumer ratings and reviews about local service providers to support care seekers in their research.[27][28]

Caring.com generates revenue from multiple sources, including referral fees from senior housing and care providers and listing subscription fees.[4][1]

Caring Stars

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Established in January 2012, the Caring Stars annual list is a compilation of the highest-rated senior living communities and senior care agencies across the U.S.[29][30] The selection process for this list involves specific reviews-based criteria, including a specific volume of published ratings and reviews from both residents and their relatives.[29][31] To finalize the Caring Stars list for each year, Caring.com's team also implements quality control measures, including conducting an integrity audit of consumer reviews and confirming the service provider's state licensure for care levels and states where required.[29][32]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Web site aims to help 'sandwich generation'". NBC News. November 19, 2007.
  2. ^ a b "Caring.com eldercare site emerges".
  3. ^ a b "Caring.com expands in elder care as it buys Gilbert Guide online senior site". October 7, 2009.
  4. ^ a b c "Bankrate buys Caring.com for $54 million". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  5. ^ "Caring.com Gets $6 Million To Help With Your Parents' Elder Years". September 21, 2007.
  6. ^ "Caring.com, a site for caregivers, to launch this week". September 20, 2007.
  7. ^ Span, Paula (October 13, 2010). "Plotting the Course of Alzheimer's". The New Old Age Blog.
  8. ^ Haas, Jane Glenn (October 17, 2010). "Care guide focuses on stages of Alzheimer's". The Seattle Times.
  9. ^ "Caring.com acquires Gilbert Guide". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  10. ^ "Caring Inc. buys Gilbert Guide to connects seniors with housing". VentureBeat. October 8, 2009.
  11. ^ "Bankrate Announces Acquisition of Caring.com". May 8, 2014 – via Wall Street Journal.
  12. ^ Rao, Leena (May 3, 2010). "Intel Capital Invests $15 Million In Caring.com, SmartZip And Virtustream". TechCrunch.
  13. ^ "Intel invests $4 million in Caring.com". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  14. ^ Ecker, Elizabeth (January 6, 2015). "Caring.com, SeniorHomes.com Combine to Drive More Senior Living Leads".
  15. ^ "Bankrate 2016-12-31".
  16. ^ "Bankrate to divest Caring.com for Red Ventures merger -FTC". November 3, 2017 – via Reuters.
  17. ^ Holly, Robert (May 9, 2018). "Caring.com Acquired Following FTC Agreement".
  18. ^ "CEO on HQ move to Charlotte: Bay Area hiring is like 'banging my head against the wall'". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  19. ^ "California company seeks talent, office space in HQ move to Charlotte". WSOC TV. October 3, 2019.
  20. ^ Bowers, Lois A. (March 10, 2020). "Referral service Caring.com acquires competitor SeniorAdvice.com". McKnight's Senior Living.
  21. ^ Sullivan, Paul (September 7, 2018). "Making Wills Easier and Cheaper With Do-It-Yourself Options" – via NYTimes.com.
  22. ^ "Alzheimer's caregivers likely to spend more than $50,000 a year". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  23. ^ Lippe-McGraw, Jordi (July 11, 2016). "Best and worst cities for retirement according to Bankrate.com". CNBC.
  24. ^ a b "How to Be a Caregiver". The New York Times.
  25. ^ Zimmerman, Eilene (August 27, 2011). "Easing the Stress of Daily Care-Giving" – via NYTimes.com.
  26. ^ Haas, Jane Glenn (June 29, 2011). "How do you shop for a nursing home?". The Seattle Times.
  27. ^ Yedinak, John (May 14, 2013). "Like it Or Not, Senior Housing Online Reviews Are Here to Stay". Senior Housing News.
  28. ^ "Money Matters: Should you trust reviews when choosing a business to support".
  29. ^ a b c "West Shores named 'Caring Star of 2020'". The Sentinel Record. February 24, 2020.
  30. ^ "Schooner Estates Senior Living Community earns Caring.com 'Super Star' award". Lewiston Sun Journal. January 14, 2022.
  31. ^ "Home Instead honored with Caring Star award". December 14, 2016.
  32. ^ Bonvissuto, Kimberly (November 15, 2022). "329 senior living communities named 'Caring Stars' for 2023". McKnight's Senior Living.