Growing e-commerce healthcare company plots Miami move. What it means for caregivers

Carewell, a Charlotte-based online retailer focused on providing family caregivers with tools and resources to care for family members facing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, plans to move its headquarters to Miami.

To make the move, Carewell secured nearly $25 million in capital from investors, including from a team based in Coral Gables, and has hired four former executives from Plantation-based Chewy, an online pet goods retailer.

Chewy laid off more than 200 employees, including some top executives, in November.

The move, to a "central location" in Miami not yet identified, is designed to be accessible for Carewell's growing team in South Florida. The digital healthcare company plans to hire from the area, CEO and co-founder Bianca Padilla said in an email to the Miami Herald.

The shift from Charlotte about seven years after its 2017 founding should have no disruptive effect on Carewell's customer base given it conducts its business as e-commerce. The funding will help grow Carewell's product base and services, leaders say.

Carewell is designed to support independent caregivers through phone and online support services, educational resources and the sale and delivery of supplies necessary in the care of aging patients. The product mix includes nutritional supplements like Boost and Ensure, incontinence supplies, adult wipes and diapers and pads, respiratory care items like nebulizer kits and masks, mobility supplies like walkers, wound care merchandise, and medication management and monitors.

"Carewell offers fast, free shipping all across the contiguous U.S. While the move to Miami primarily affects our corporate team members, our customers can expect the same level of service they have been receiving from Carewell," Padilla said.

About Alzheimer's and dementia

The market is growing. According to the Alzheimer's Association, 6.7 million Americans ages 65 and older were living with Alzheimer's in 2023. The CDC predicts that figure of Americans with dementia is to double to 14 million by 2060.

About one in nine people age 65 and older, 10.7%, has Alzheimer's. Almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer's are women. And older Black Americans and Hispanics are twice and 1.5 times, respectively, more likely to have Alzheimer's or other dementia as older whites..

Family caregiving

More than 42 million Americans are caring for someone age 50 or older, and 24% of these people are providing care for at least two people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These are not healthcare professionals in a medical setting. These are regular people tasked with taking care of loved ones suffering from cognitive disabilities like dementia and Alzheimer's while also balancing their own life like holding down a job and maintaining daily routines and their own health.

"Family caregiving is becoming an increasingly more common experience in the U.S. with spouses, children, parents, and even grandchildren having to take on a caregiving role overnight without warning," Carewell's Padilla said in a statement. "Understandably, these individuals can experience significant mental, physical, and emotional stress as they balance their role as caregivers with other responsibilities to work and family, and our mission at Carewell is to help educate, support and advocate for these selfless heroes."

How do you become a Carewell customer?

Visit Carewell.com online to shop home healthcare supplies.

Call the care team at any time daily at 800-696-2273 for product recommendations and for answers to questions.

Who is on the new healthcare team?

Carewell's investors in the planned move to Miami, new hires and expansion plans, include Coral Gables-based MBF Healthcare leading the initiative along with other existing investors.

"Carewell's commitment to providing an exceptional 24/7 customer experience and tailored high-end products at competitive prices sets them apart from competitors and we are proud to support a family-run company dedicated to shaping the future of healthcare and caregiving," Mike B. Fernandez, chairman of MBF Healthcare Plans, said in a statement.

The new Carewell executive hires, all from Chewy, are:

Mike Pacificois chief financial officer. He was previously head of finance at Chewy and CFO at Arteza, an arts and crafts brand.

Jason Klinghofferis chief marketing officer. He worked at Chewy from 2014 to 2018, the South Florida Business Journal reported.

Samantha Rassner, who led software development at Chewy and also worked at BEX Realty, is chief technology officer.

Kelli Durkin is vice president of customer service. In addition to Chewy Durkin worked at The Farmer's Dog.

"What the new team brings to the table is experience navigating a fast-growing e-commerce company and successfully creating a household name with a customer-first approach," Padilla told the Miami Herald. "We're leaning on their learnings, processes and experience to grow faster."

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