A Tuktu Care Case Study
Tuktu Care developed a mobile app that matches aging adults needing home-based care with local helpers in their own neighborhood.
Background Information
- COVID-19 has shifted most Canadian’s views on ageing in their own homes as opposed to long-term care (LTC) facilities or retirement villages.
- According to a most recent survey by the National Institute on Ageing (NIA), 96% of Canadians aged 65 years and older would do everything they can to avoid moving into LTC homes and remain socially connected from the comfort of their homes.
- More than 40,000 Canadians are currently on wait list for nursing homes – this is due, in apart, to lack of available home and community-based care. (Deloitte)
- Canada lags behind leading countries such as Denmark, Belgium or Norway when looking at the proportion of spending on home care as a share of total long-term care. Those countries spend about 50% of their total long-term care spending on home care based on the OECD methodology, while Canada spent 18% in 2019. (OECD 2021)
- The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) notes that about 1 in 10 newly admitted long-term care residents potentially could have been cared for at home. However, unmet home care needs were the most prevalent among Canadians aged 65 and older. (Canada.ca)
- Expanding home-based options for LTC could save the health care system cost and increase patient satisfaction. For example, according to the Ontario government, the care of in-hospital patients who are awaiting an LTC bed costs $750 per day, while home-based LTC care costs $200 per day. (The Hub)
The Solution
The app, the ease, the joy
Tuktu is on a mission to bridge the gap that currently exists in the family caregiver support system.
Its platform is meant to help older adults age comfortably in their own homes, while supporting social workers, nurses, and care givers with additional on-demand part-time help for low-touch care needs like companionship, personal shopping, housekeeping, driving to appointments and technology help.
Our Partnership
A collaboration with Circle allows Tuktu to bridge the gap that currently exists in the family caregiver support system.
Tuktu has successfully validated the proof of concept in Vancouver and the company is building a profitable business with sound unit economics. Their scale-up plans reflect strong business fundamentals built on network growth and innovation. Tuktu currently serves 500+ customers in the Vancouver area and has provided over 6000 hours of care connections. The organization aims to serve a million happy customers by 2025 and will continue to invest in building a care-centered model, powered by human connections.
Media Gallery
Highlights from our partnership with Tuktu Care
Partnership Outcomes
Through advocacy, Circle advised Tuktu on how to raise awareness around its meaningful application. Circle helped Tuktu collaborate with existing organizations and entities performing similar roles for British Columbia’s seniors.
Through its partnership with the City of Surrey, Circle facilitated knowledge sharing among senior residents who might want to learn more about Tuktu’s digital resources such as support for healthy active aging, how to be more independent, and how to enhance social connectedness.
Circle Innovation also provided co-funding through the Healthtech SME Program to help finance and support the growth and scalability of Tuktu’s technology across BC and beyond.
Outcomes
Circle’s project with Tuktu has generated to date these economic benefits.
$150,000
Annual revenue incread attributable to the project deliverables
$250,000
Incremental private sector investment attracted due to lowered barriers
1
Products delivered into the market
3
Non-HQP and (1) HQP employees hired.
About Partner
Tuktu Care is a community-powered care provider based in British Columbia that connects individuals needing support with safe, local companions for everyday tasks such as shopping, cleaning, and transportation. The Tuktu platform offers an on-demand, curated marketplace that matches clients with companions who provide personalized, empathetic service at lower costs and flexible terms. The service is managed through a secure web and mobile app, ensuring that providers are vetted, trained, and insured. Tuktu Care focuses on serving aging residents in British Columbia, with plans to expand as the non-medical care market grows, projected to reach $35 billion in the U.S. and Canada by 2030.
