HÜLPR
Interview with Jonathan Lahda, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at Hulpr Inc.
Hülpr provides home supports, transportation, accompaniments, companionship, and innovative technology to support older adults age in place.
How long have you been in business?
We launched in January 2021
How many employees do you have?
In January of 2021 we started with 1 and have jumped to 12 team members and are growing!
Is this a family business – chat about the family/traditions/vision etc.?
This is a local start-up that helps local community members, facilities, and agencies with regards to home support, transportation, and assistance with aging in place.
Well, we have multiple generations of families on our team, so in that sense we are a family business. Our CEO, Tim O’Hara is a nurse and his dad, Ken, is also a nurse and one of our company leaders.
What is one of your favorite services you offer?
We love our transportation side, as we provide a superior experience for clients and the facility or agency caring for them, and the clinic they are attending. We are big on communication. We utilize retired health and emergency services workers and passionate locals who care about the community and making our clients experience a positive one, even when attending a medical appointment or clinic visit. We also provide accompaniments and find that the driver’s connect so well with the clients that we encompass companionship into each interaction. We love doing anything that helps people maintain their independence and age well in a manner of their choosing, and we love satisfying both people’s health needs and desires. Healthcare typically addresses needs, but we also address desires.
Speaking about addressing health desires, we also have some innovative technology built for older adults, that will give them something fun to do, and motivate them to be proactive with their health while being independent. At Hulpr, we are more than just a ride!
What made you choose to get into the business you are in?
We saw a significant need during the pandemic and the research indicates that missed essential medical appointments are a leading cause of decreased ability to age in place and loss of independence, which forces people prematurely into the hospital or long-term care homes. We are passionate about supporting older adults, early in the care journey to ensure they can live with dignity and autonomy in their own homes, if possible.
What do you love about Kingston
We LOVE how supportive the local long-term care, senior homes and retirement homes have been with the Hulpr team and the excellent service we provide. Local facilities including Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KGH, HDH) and Providence Care along with agencies including ODSP, Veterans Affairs, Indigenous Affairs, Smile Program though VON, Kidney Foundation and more have welcomed our services and grown to trust and rely on us to safely transport their clients. We also love the support we are getting from our innovative technology partners including Queen’s University, St. Lawrence College, and the City of Kingston to develop technological initiatives to further support independent living.
Mostly, we love the city and its thriving business and innovation sector. We feel this is the perfect place to launch a health business that is passionate about assisting and supporting the current gaps in available services while developing technological tools that could have a significant impact on the rural and national challenges facing all organizations responsible for caring for older adults.
What do you love most about your industry?
It’s the positive impact we have on our clients, their care providers and care teams and the clinics, facilities and organizations that are involved in their circle of care. We have received so much positive feedback that we know we are making a difference in their lives and meeting our mission of helping our community.
There is nothing more fulfilling than receiving heartfelt “thank you” from our clients, their loved ones, and care teams. Helping people is what we love most. If you want to learn more about our client focussed services please contact us directly at 613-329-0484, careteam@hulpr.ca, and of course check out our website at www.hulpr.ca.
Thank you,
Jonathan Ladha, Certified Professional Consultant on Aging®
