It's a simple idea, artfully executed: people who are seriously ill create one central, online page where they can update friends and family about health changes and treatments. This reduces the need for the ill person to repeat the same information, while still keeping loved ones informed.
That concept sparked the creation of
CaringBridge back in 1997, and since then the site has recorded more than 1.8 billion visits, with more than 250,000 personal pages created. Founder and CEO Sona Mehring notes that as the site keeps growing, the potential for its use expands.
"When we started, the phrase 'social networking' didn't exist," she recalls. "But the idea that you can support people through online connections was a powerful one, and it still is. We're looking at how to take CaringBridge to the next level of connection."
A nonprofit organization, CaringBridge employs 68 people, and hired nearly 40 percent of them within the last year and a half. That surge came from increased popularity and a stronger focus on innovation, Mehring notes.
The next iteration of the site will have a new service that will allow users to schedule tasks for the friend or family member who's ill. For example, a visitor to a page might see a calendar that lists doctor visits and a request for rides to the clinic offices. Using the online planner, the visitor can sign up to provide a ride on a specific day.
This significantly reduces the need for an ill person to ask for help with certain tasks, and it gives friends and family members more options for assistance.
"This is our first step in expanding our services, and we're very excited about providing more options like this," says Mehring. "People who use CaringBridge are going through a journey, and we want to be able to help them with that, in any way we can."
Source: Sona Mehring, CaringBridge
Writer: Elizabeth Millard