“We are your client pipeline”: mycare.co.nz

Mark Jeffries, the Founder of mycare.co.nz, introduced his digital marketplace which brings care workers, volunteers and clients together – efficiently. He pointed out that his platform is building a relationship with village and care clients well before they consider downsizing from the family home.
In fact his service may mean that clients will not downsize but age in place at home.
Mycare is similar to Australia’s bettercaring.com.au and is taking the NZ home care market by storm.
With mycare 85% of every home care dollar goes to the care worker to provide care to the client – the same as bettercaring. Administration accounts for 15%. In NZ the corporatized home care model takes around 45% of every dollar in administration and corporate expenses – about the same as Australia.
Launched last December, mycare has 1,200 care workers signed up and working. Remember NZ has 20% of Australia’s population. Bettercaring.com.au has been moving cautiously but in 19 months has signed up just 600 carers.
Mycare is different in that it has government support, recognising it saves the government money – more care is delivered for each Government dollar. Mycare also has a strong relationship with Caring NZ which helps.
Who provides and oversees the care plans for clients is not gone into in detail, an area Australian home care operators point to as a significant point of difference.
There is no doubt that this business model will massively disrupt the home care sector as workers move to the ‘personal free enterprise’ model. Village operators will lose control on who is providing care services in their villages as residents demand a direct relationship with their favourite personal carers.