ParentCare, a WhatsApp-first platform that enables Non-Resident Indians book medical and homecare services for their parents in India, has expanded beyond Mumbai to Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Pune and Chennai keeping in view the requirements of the elderly during the COVID-19 crisis.
ParentCare was founded at the very beginning of the pandemic in 2020 by a UK-based Indian expat Bharat Vasandani. The startup’s mission is to simplify long-distance caregiving by providing one Whatsapp number where Indian expats can book healthcare or homecare service for their elderly parents back in India.
The ParentCare team prioritises the needs of Indian children living abroad and struggling to provide care for their ageing parents, such as an easy international payment system that accepts bank cards and transfers, online reports after each consultation or service, and extra concierge service on WhatsApp. The company is on its way to launch the first-ever WhatsApp chatbot for the NRI community.
The recent expansion allowed ParentCare to start catering for elderly Indians in Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai. The service range in these cities is planned to include GP home visits or online consultations, home care, physiotherapists, elderly care products, diagnostic tests and a virtual assistant.
Although the startup was launched during the pandemic, ParentCare managed to onboard several major healthcare providers and help a number of families including those looking for COVID-19 homecare in India. The start-up is funded and mentored by the start-up factory Nova (UK), and Deepbridge Capital (UK).
Bharat Vasandani, the Founder and CEO of ParentCare, said:
“We are extremely grateful to our partners for their patience and support during this difficult time. They have ensured customised services to ParentCare members even during the peak of the pandemic. We look forward to growing as a NRI-focused healthcare platform ensuring trust and transparency for our members.”