SCOTTISH care digital platform StoriiCare was set up by Cameron Graham in 2014 when he witnessed how photographs could help those with dementia. StoriiCare is a social network that allows care staff to record their activity and help families keep in touch with their loved ones.
Name: Cameron Graham
Age: 24
Position: Co-founder and CEO
WHAT’S YOUR BUSINESS CALLED?
StoriiCare
WHERE IS IT BASED?
Edinburgh with bases in London and San Francisco
WHY DID YOU SET UP THE BUSINESS?
I CAME up with the idea in late 2014 after witnessing how photographs can help those living with dementia. I took part in a charity run and unfortunately later suffered kidney failure. While recovering in hospital I witnessed an older man with dementia on my ward. Whenever his granddaughter came to visit, she would show him family photos, and his face would light up. He was more responsive and conversational with both his granddaughter and the hospital staff. I decided that a digital platform to aid reminiscence would be able to help not just those with dementia, but their carers and families.
Through working closely with care facilities, the business became what it is today – a fully-fledged care management platform for care providers of all types and sizes. We’ve raised investment from Angel Investors in the UK and the US, some of whom are from the care sector. We’ve also won startup competitions and grants, which have been incredibly beneficial along the way.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
WE save care staff time on administrative tasks, so they can better spend it with those they care for. Staff can enter their daily notes, assessments, activity schedules into our software through tablets, phones and laptops. This also provides management with a host of useful data that can help them make better informed decisions.
Families benefit by gaining access to a profile of their loved one, where they can upload life story content and music playlists, enabling the staff to better know who they are caring for. This has been so popular that we often get new business from families asking their relative’s care provider to consider using StoriiCare.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM COMPETING BUSINESSES?
WE’RE disrupting the industry by ensuring our platform is easy to use for staff and for families.
When we first saw some of the archaic software care providers were using, we were amazed at the regular inefficiencies and the fact that staff had to study confusing training materials before being able to carry out simple tasks.
Our interface is designed similarly to modern social media platforms, so navigating is simple and most tasks can be completed intuitively without any training at all.
WHAT IS YOUR TARGET MARKET?
OUR software is purchased on a subscription basis by any business that provides care for individuals and is required to keep records. Ultimately, when seeking care for a loved one, you want to be choosing care providers who invest their time and money into the best resources available, digital care planning systems like StoriiCare being one of them.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT RUNNING THE BUSINESS?
I THOROUGHLY enjoy the problem-solving a software startup embraces and meeting the fascinating people you encounter along the way. I do enjoy that I’m regularly asked: “What is a 24-year-old doing building software for care homes?”
Scotland is one of the best places worldwide to launch a startup. The grants available for qualifying businesses are significant and there are brilliant founder/startup support networks.
Events and organisations such as EIE, Scottish Edge, Scottish Enterprise and Startup Summit have really contributed to putting Scotland’s name on the startup map.
WHERE DO YOU HOPE THE BUSINESS WILL BE IN 10 YEARS’ TIME?
I SEE the platform, our company and our client base growing significantly, along with the care sector worldwide. Ageing baby boomers are here, and tech savvy adult children whose parents may need care have to be marketed to effectively by care providers to remain relevant.
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