The Story Behind HopePair

Years ago, while living in New York, I found myself helping my aging parents navigate healthcare decisions from hundreds of miles away. My siblings were also doing their part from different locations and at times being overwhelmed with all the things that needed to be done. Like many adult children, we were trying to balance our own families, career, and responsibilities while also helping our parents understand complex medical information, evaluate care options, and make important decisions about their future.

We weren’t the first family facing these challenges.

Somewhere, someone had already figured out how to coordinate care, or navigate a difficult healthcare decision. Yet there was no easy way to connect with people who had lived through those experiences and could offer practical guidance.

That realization became the foundation for my first vision of HopePair: connecting people facing healthcare challenges with others who had successfully navigated similar situations before.

In 2016, I brought that idea to the MIT Hacking Medicine GrandHack at the MIT Media Lab.  I pitched the concept, and spent the weekend developing the idea alongside people passionate about improving healthcare.

The concept gained some traction, but ultimately I wasn’t able to secure the funding needed to bring it to market.

The idea evolved through several versions as I learned more about the challenges people encounter managing their healthcare.

Then life brought the issue much closer to home.

My father passed away before the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving my mother suddenly living alone. Like many adult children, we wanted to help her remain independent and continue living in the home she loved. We wanted her to maintain her dignity, her routines, and her sense of purpose for as long as possible.

But distance made everything harder for our family members living all over the country.

I was still living in New York while she was in Chicago. I couldn’t travel during the lockdown to see her in person. I couldn’t easily see how she was doing, whether she was feeling isolated, or whether she was struggling with challenges she didn’t want to burden anyone with.

I discovered that many families were facing the same reality. Millions of adult children are trying to support an aging parent who lives alone while simultaneously raising children, managing careers, and caring for their own households. They may want to help, but they cannot be physically present every day.

The question became clear:

How do we help older adults continue living independently at home while ensuring they feel seen, heard, valued, and connected?

Research continues to show that social engagement, meaningful conversation, purpose, and connection are critical factors in overall wellbeing and cognitive health as we age. Yet loneliness and isolation often increase when a spouse passes away, mobility decreases, or family members live far away.

That insight led to the HopePair of today.

HopePair is focused on helping families support an aging parent who lives alone and wants to remain at home. We provide meaningful human connection designed to help older adults feel engaged, respected, and valued while giving family members greater peace of mind.

We believe that aging in place is about preserving quality of life, maintaining independence, and helping people continue to thrive in the place they call home.

HopePair exists because I lived this challenge myself.

And like many of the families we serve, I’m still navigating it today.