We are in the middle of a global care crisis – and most people don’t even know it yet.
By 2030, 1 in 6 people will be over the age of 60. Millions more will be living with mobility loss or chronic conditions. Across the globe, 80 million people already require a wheelchair, and many rely on another person just to complete the most basic daily tasks.
But there’s one enormous problem:
We simply do not have enough caregivers.
The World Health Organization predicts a shortfall of 10 million healthcare workers by the end of the decade. And it’s not just hospitals feeling the pinch. Care is shifting rapidly from institutions into private homes – often without the equipment, training, or staffing required to do it safely.
The hidden cost of staying home
Home care is often seen as the more dignified option. And it is – until it isn’t.
Too often, families are left to manage alone. They become informal caregivers, lifting spouses or parents without support. In New Zealand, four caregivers are injured every day doing manual transfers. In the US, more than 11 million Americans provide unpaid care for a family member or friend with dementia alone, at an estimated cost of $600 billion in hidden costs each year.
When care fails at home, it creates ripples:
- Loved ones are forced into full-time facilities before they’re ready
- Caregivers become injured, burnt out, or unable to continue
- Health systems pay the price with re-admissions, injuries, and mental health strain
We are asking humans to do superhuman things – and it’s not working.
It’s time to stop outsourcing care to human effort alone
We founded HT Systems to solve one of the most overlooked – and solvable – problems in healthcare:
How do you safely transfer someone who can’t stand, without needing two caregivers or a hoist that barely fits in your home?
Our answer is the Kera sit2sit hoist – a patented, award-winning manual transfer device that enables single-person, seated-to-seated transfers in a matter of minutes. No sling. No batteries. No lifting.
It's a simple innovation, but the impact is profound.
Kera users are staying in their homes longer, avoiding institutional care, and experiencing less stress and pain during daily routines. Caregivers are avoiding injury, saving time (e.g. 20-minute toilet transfers reduced to just 4), and finding new freedom in their own lives.
To date, the Kera sit2sit has been adopted in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, and 7 other countries. It’s just the beginning of a product family we’re building to support safer care across home, hospital, and rehabilitation settings.
The opportunity ahead
Global healthcare spend is skyrocketing – up 40% in just four years to over US$12 trillion. But the fastest-growing segment?
Home-based care.
People want to age in place. They want dignity. They want to help the people they love without breaking themselves in the process.
We believe the future of care isn’t just more people – it’s smarter tools that augment human care, not replace it.
At HT Systems, our goal is to make home care simpler, safer, and more sustainable – for everyone involved.
Want to be part of the solution?
Whether you’re:
- A policymaker shaping care-at-home strategy
- A health system looking to reduce costs and injury
- A supplier seeking better tools for clients
- Or a family member looking for an easier way to care
We’d love to talk.