With the help of Tuktu Care, seniors and older adults can delegate time-consuming and daily tasks or obtain companionship and assistance as needed. Tuktu Care intelligently matches seniors with helpers in their neighbourhood who are interested in providing on-demand services.
Tuktu Care is a Vancouver-based startup. However, Komal Makkad, this startup's Co-founder and Head of Marketing, travelled to Kamloops with her team to promote their services and meet their first group of Tuktu Helpers in person.
“When I came to Kamloops, I got a wonderful vibe from the community. I’m already missing it! We talked to a lot of people thanks to Kamloops Innovation, and we had wonderful sessions with the community members. We already have around 18 active Tuktu Helpers in Kamloops.”
Komal noted Kamloops’ location is strategic since it acts as a hub between the cities of Vancouver and Kelowna as well as other smaller communities around. “Kamloops is a thriving market and Kamloops Innovation is doing a great job at strengthening the infrastructure needed to boost innovation.”
“It's a close-knit community and it's heartwarming to see the different stakeholders working together towards a common goal. Kamloops is a great place for business, given its impeccable planning, entrepreneurial policies, and inclusive spirit, and that's why we are bringing Tuktu to Kamloops."
Tuktu Care launched in March 2021. It started with a personal struggle of moving away from family and caring from afar. Komal mentioned that the pandemic taught us all that staying connected to our friends, family, and communities is a vital part of our lives. Everyone needs social connections to survive, but as people age and face the loss of loved ones, they often find themselves living alone. “My father was diagnosed with a cardiac issue, but I saw him missing the appointments with the cardiologist because there was nobody to drive him.”
Before launching Tuktu, the team interviewed around 400 people who were family caregivers living abroad, in Canada, the US, UK, and India. They discovered that caregiving from afar was a significant challenge for everyone. They even volunteered in churches and long-term care homes to understand the needs of seniors and their families better.
“The care economy is a massive 550-billion-dollar market. Currently, there are over 7 million Canadians over the age of 65.” Unfortunately, the infrastructure that is already in place to support them, meet their lifestyle needs, and provide the companionship they require is insufficient and crumbling.
Therefore, Tuktu creates communities that care! Their goal is to provide our aging loved ones with a trusted support ecosystem so they can get the help they need to age in their own homes and lead fulfilling lives for as long as possible. Tuktu is an AI-driven technology platform that smartly connects family and friends interested in supporting the needs of their loved ones with verified, part-time, non-formal helpers from their neighbourhood, who love to help. Friendly and reliable, these providers, also known as Tuktus, help care recipients with their everyday needs - be it cooking together, getting some exercise, going to places, or simply enjoying a chat.
“Kamloops is a thriving market and Kamloops Innovation is doing a great job at strengthening the infrastructure needed to boost innovation.”
Komal noted that in order to succeed in smaller communities you must become part of the community. She added that trust plays a significant role in the smaller communities and business owners should build relationships with the stakeholders when planning to expand.
“We are creating communities that care, so it's important that we include the community in execution and in strategic decision-making as we evolve.”
