May 29, 2022

Episode 10:1 Jake Rothstein on Doing Better through Technology and Providing the Human Touch

24 minutes

The Founder & CEO of UpsideHōM shares company milestones and how to create organic intergenerational connection and successful co-housing. Learn how this exciting alternative to traditional senior living is creating solutions for social isolation and affordable housing.

About Jake

Jake Rothstein is the CEO and Founder of UpsideHōM, whose mission is to enhance the quality of life for older adults everywhere. UpsideHōM is the first and only fully managed, shared living option for older adults, providing a turnkey, affordable and appealing alternative to traditional senior living.

Jake previously co-founded Papa - a company which pairs older adults and families with “Papa Pals” for companionship and assistance with everyday tasks - based on experience with his own grandfather (whom he called Papa). Witnessing the wide-spread nature of loneliness, isolation and unaffordable housing options for older adults, Jake developed the idea for UpsideHōM, which would provide a solution to more completely tackle these challenges at scale.

With a background in technology sales, operations and management, Jake has experience building and running successful, international teams, selling enterprise software into the Global 2000.

Jake holds a BA in Economics from the University of Florida. He is a FAA certified Private Pilot who enjoys flying, outdoor running and spending time with his incredible wife Sharona and their Goldendoodle Louie.

Key Takeaways

Older adults believe they're more independent than they actually are. When moving in with UpsideHōm, people tend to lean more on their home managers than they think they will.

Moving is an event that happens infrequently for most people, so they tend to forget the challenges of coordinating a move. With older adults, moving often surrounds a triggering event like the 5D's: death downsizing, divorce, disaster, and disability.

The senior living industry puts people into buckets based on age, acuity, mobility, or accessibility, but people are more nuanced. Every human being ages differently.

Technology can facilitate efficiencies to deliver human touch technology. It can drive efficiencies to coordinate services better, but it's going to be hard to solve the loneliness epidemic without human touch.

At the core, intergenerational connection happens organically. UpsideHōm home managers facilitate organic engagement by providing access to experiences, events and activities both within the apartment complex and in the broader community.

Half of UpsidHōm’s prospects are interested in co-housing. Co-housing works best when people are paired in advance, like the way college roommates are matched based on compatibility in a dorm room setting—it puts people into a neutral territory. Research show that people are less territorial move into a physical dwelling at the same time.

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By Nancy Griffin

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