An online homecare platform that connects Medicaid or state-funded home care clients with Individual Providers in Washington state. Carina care connections ultimately improve quality of life for seniors and people with disabilities by providing access to care while remaining in their own homes; a model that saves the U.S. government significant expenditures in hospital costs.
Problem
The Service Employees International Union 775 (SEIU) has made great strides in improving conditions for Home Care Aides in Washington state. In one of many negotiations with the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), it was determined that existing systems for connecting caregivers and clients where outdated, inefficient, and largely ineffective. This growing industry was in need of a low-maintenance, scalable solution that yields longstanding care relationships despite a history of high turnover rates for home care workers.
Solution
Carina is an online platform that specializes in connecting qualified Home Care Aides with Medicaid and state-funded clients in Washington State. Built to HIPAA security standards, Carina creates a “walled garden” where two vulnerable populations may foster care relationships in a structured and safe environment. A searchable database of job posts and provider profiles cut out the middleman (existing Home Care Referral Registries) as users asses their available care options. Among other advancements, a protectively cloaked location matching feature offers a previously unseen sense of transparency to the Medicaid in-home care community. Those that use Carina find it easy to discover caregivers or clients in their area and begin forging new care networks.
Since launching our MVP earlier this year, the Carina platform has caught the attention of other unions, state governments, and even other countries. We continue to refine the platform as we expand into new regions, each with a unique set of needs and often complex design requirements.
My Team
My Role
As the UX Designer on a small startup team, I wear many hats. Notably, I lead the establishment of a strong UX culture within the company, drive user research, and carry out all phases of the design process for product development and occasionally marketing purposes.
Not surprisingly, the inside of my head has become a buzzing hotspot of activity. Perhaps one of my greatest contribution to the team has been my ability to organize this plethora of details and keep numerous interconnected processes running smoothly.
Megan Taylor 