End-of-life concierge service helps families cope with details after loved one dies

After the loss of a loved one, the survivors face a mountain of paperwork and endless phone calls. End-of-life logistics put additional strain on grieving families and friends, who often leave the hospital confused about everything from burials to bank accounts.

A Los Angeles-based startup called Grace is now offering end-of-life concierge services assisting with financial and administrative decisions to help ease that stress. Techstars Healthcare Accelerator in partnership with Cedars-Sinai Health System chose Grace as one of 11 health tech startups for its first class.

Grace recently struck a partnership with Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai, where it will provide information and assistance to the families of dying or recently deceased patients. Instead of being left in the dark, family members can get help with things like hospice care, funeral arrangements, death certificates and closing accounts.

“When we look at the end-of-life planning process for health systems, there are so many opportunities for them to step in and provide an additional level of support for patients and their families,” said Alex Kruger, co-founder and CEO of Grace. “The biggest problem that we're noticing is that people just aren't having the conversations that they need to be having about end-of-life planning: How do you get an advanced directive filled out? How do you close an account like Verizon, Comcast or even Facebook after someone passes?”

Before launching the startup, Kruger worked in the tech world developing consumer marketplaces that help users more easily manage other cumbersome tasks. Most recently, he was vice president of business development at SpotHero, a mobile app- and website-based parking reservation service.

“The idea for Grace came about after my great uncle had passed away,” he said. “I reached out to my great aunt to see how I could help, and she started sending me tasks that weren't confusing but were emotionally difficult to deal with when your loved one has just passed.”

Assisting his great aunt with the laundry list of minutiae became the catalyst to launch Grace in the beginning of 2015 with co-founders Annie Luchsinger and Isaac Silverman.

After signing up on the company's website, customers can discuss end-of-life options with one of Grace's experts to build a custom plan either for themselves or a family member regarding burial, cremation, and other services. A basic concierge package runs $250 for guidance (phone/email support, online tools, and printable materials), with extra costs for additional services. The company also provides an online checklist to guide users through all the end-of-life logistics.

The startup was selected for 2016's Techstars Healthcare Accelerator, which included an investment of up to $120,000, access to clinical expertise and information infrastructure at Cedars-Sinai, along with mentorship from physicians and executives. The program lasted four months, ending with an April demo day in which all 11 companies participating took turns pitching to industry leaders and venture capitalists in Los Angeles.

In August, Cedars-Sinai announced partnerships with two of the participating startups, including Grace. The health system will pay for an hour of support for every family of a Cedars-Sinai patient who has recently died. Family members will be able to call a Grace representative to ask questions about end-of-life planning—for instance, where to find a suitable funeral home in their location and budget, or how to send a body overseas for a family burial.

Grace has also partnered with four hospices in Los Angeles County. The company's goal is to cover all of California by year-end and expand its services to other states next year.

Joan August, vice president of service line operations at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, sees Grace as a unique way to bridge a gap for families in health system services.

“From an administrative standpoint, we want to be able to provide not just direct care to our patients and families, but all the other supportive care services as well,” August said. “When they're in the hospital, families get the help they need—but then they leave, and many times they find themselves on their own.”

Meeri Kim is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles.