Ira Yellen has more than 40 years’ experience in public relations, marketing, advertising and design. His agency, Tall Timbers Marketing (formerly First Experience Communications) has clients in the health care industry for more than two decades. He has counseled and provided professional services to health care organizations (hospitals, cancer centers, community health centers, and state agencies) on integrated marketing strategies, on-line marketing and branding, and has advised home care agencies on Internet strategies that help them find new clients and recruit staff.

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Ira was a family caregiver for his mother. Frustrated in his attempts to find home care options for his mother, he realized many other families are experiencing the same thing. From his personal and professional experience, he created an online family resource the Aging in Place Essential Toolkit™.

 

The Aging in Place Essential Toolkit™ addresses the challenges that individuals and families face in caring for a loved one or themselves. It is a one-stop resource of customized, practical advice and support that helps people plan for how they will live a good life as they age. Ira has given over 50 presentations to businesses, civic groups, healthcare and non-profit organizations,

including:

• Connecticut Home Builders and Remodelers Annual Expo, “What you need to know to be an effective caregiver”, March 2019

• New England Home Builders and Remodelers Conference, “Aging in Place: Your role for educating family caregivers”, October 2018

• New Haven Family Caregiving Expo, “Family Caregiving 101: What you need to know to care for a loved one.”, November 2016

• Massachusetts Home Aide Council: "100,000s of MA families are primary caregivers. Finding the resources to help them", 2016-19 

• Transitions Conference, Sponsored by the Hartford Courant: “Elder Caregiving in the Digital Age: Finding Quality Homecare Services” and “Family Caregiving 101: 10 Essential Tips You Need to Know.”, October 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018

• Connecticut Technology Innovation Summit, Technology Health Care Community: “Designated as One of the Top New Internet/New Media Companies”, October, 2012, 2015, and 2017

• Home Care Association of America: “Caregiving in the Digital Age: Making an Effective Internet Strategy for Your Agency”, 2014

• Home Care Association of America “Caregiving in the Digital Age: Finding Quality Homecare Agencies Online”, 2014

• Power Home Health Referral Conference by Decision Health: “Tailor Your Online Strategy and Target Baby Boomer’s Demand for Quality Home Care Services”, February 27, 2014

• MIT Enterprise Forum: "Helping Family Caregivers, the Crisis Waiting to Happen", April 2016

• New England Home Care Conference: “The New Referral…and It’s not Hospitals! Are You Ready for the Online Referral Wave?”, 2013

• National Association for Home Care and Hospice Annual Meeting & Exposition: “The New Referral…And

• It’s Not Hospitals! Are You Ready for the Online Referral Wave?”, November, 2013

• Connecticut Association for Health Care at Home: “Growing Your Home Health Care Business in a

• Competitive Market —How a focused marketing plan will help grow your patient base, create and

• sustain your referral network, and recruit top caregivers”, April 2011

• Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts: “Thousands of people are actively searching online for home care

• services…So why can’t they find your website?”, October 2011

• Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts: “Growing Your Home Health Care Business in a Competitive

• Market —How a focused marketing plan will help grow your patient base, create and sustain your

• referral network, and recruit top caregivers”, November 2010 Media Coverage

• Radio Entrepreneur Interview, "Facing the Caregiving Tsunami: What are Aging in Place Options?", March 2018

• Innovation Hartford interview: “Entrepreneur Launches Online Family Caregiver Toolkit", July 10, 2017

• Connecticut Jewish Ledger: “Connecticut’s “60 over 60" recipient”, July 2017

• CT Startup Connecting Connecticut podcast: Innovation Summit Series: Innovation Summit Series: I Need Homecare Now, 2016

• Waterbury Republican, “Many Patients Unsure Where to Start in Choosing and Agency”, March 2013

• Glastonbury Life, “Helping the Helpers: Company Creates Search Engine for Home Care”, March 2013

• Boston Business Journal, “Start-up Watch: Start-up companies that focus on a specific audience that use a creative approach in addressing societal problems, January 2013

• Connecticut Fox News Morning Health Segment, “Consumer education segment on how to find and select home health care services”, January 2013

• Hartford Business Journal, “Adman Tackles Search for In-home Care”, December 2012 Awards

 

We have been recognized with the following awards for the work we do for family caregivers and aging adults who are planning to age in place, 2015-2018

• CT Entrepreneurial Awards, Finalist

• CT 60 Over 60 Recognition Award

• Co-chaired patient experience innovation initiative, St. Francis Medical Center, Hartford, CT

• CT Business Champions Awards Semi-finalist

• Boston Ad Club Brandathon, Semi-finalist

• Connecticut Technology Innovation Summit, TechCompanies to Watch

• PULSE@MassChallenge Health Digital Initiative, Semi-finalist

 

Recent Volunteer and Professional Associations Activities

• Mentor, MassChallenge and MC TechHealth

• Mentor, Yale Entrepreneurial Institute, CTNext (CT Innovations)

• MIT Enterprise Forum Board Member

• Aging 2.0 Connector

• CT Technology Council, Former Board Member

• Hartford Foundations for Public Giving, Catalyst Fund Steering Committee, Former Member

• Glastonbury Education Foundation, Former Chair

• Angel Investor Forum, Former Member