Almost every American is a caregiver or will be in the future. Whether raising children, caring for an ill child or spouse, an elderly or ill parent or a close friend, most of us all find ourselves in this role at some point, and, simply put, it’s not easy.
In a study by The National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP Public Policy Institute, “Caregiving in the U.S. 2015”, an estimated 39.8 million Americans are providing care to an adult age 18 or older. Approximately 28 percent of those caregivers (or 11 million caregivers, which is considered to be an underestimation) also had a child or grandchild living in their home while also providing care to an adult named the Sandwich Generation.
For the sandwich generation, the challenges of working, caring for children and a parent can be overwhelming. Caregiving in and of itself is stressful. Throw in the pandemic, working remotely, remote learning as well as quarantined seniors and elderly and the stress grows.
We know what you’re going through
We at Watch Our Own are, or have been caregivers to a loved one, specifically elderly and/or ill parents, and friends. We get it. We’ve even done it from a distance – hours away or even out of state. We’ve juggled two or three phone apps in an attempt to manage and organize information, schedules, appointments and keep others up to date.
We know what you’re feeling and how hard you are trying to keep it all together, because we’ve been there. So…
We built something to help all caregivers
The Watch Our Own app was built by caregivers for caregivers because we know exactly what you need to manage the care of your loved one, organize others in support and communication, and manage and maintain your sanity.
Watch Our Own is the first 360-Caregiving Coordination app and Incident Response System available for caregivers. We built one phone app with everything a caregiver needs to coordinate, build and organize a group of caregivers in support around a care recipient no matter what your caring situation. We have created a fully customizable service that provides real time information to all caregivers.
Coordinate transportation, doctor and medicine schedules and organize Group members for social visits or fun excursions. We can help you arrange and see it all in one place.
But we went above and beyond coordination and collaboration
Things happen. Someone falls or wanders off, so we went a step farther to create the most innovative system to monitor, record and communicate incidents while allowing everyone in the Group to stay informed in real time.
Our custom-built, patented critical response, or Incident Response System, known as the Event Engine, helps you manage any incident that may occur with a loved one.
1. Through the “Watch Me Now” feature, a loved one can trigger an Event and send details on their location to the Group. They can even live stream from their location, allowing the Group to see what’s happening.
Caregivers in the Group can chat or call in-app to discuss what’s happening and make decisions. Maybe a Caregiver from the Group can stop by right now. If it’s a critical situation, you can locate and call the closest EMS response team for assistance.
2. The “Injured” feature allows a Caregiver to alert the Group to the fact that their loved one is injured or needs further assistance. Again, the chat, video stream and in-app call feature allow Group members to be informed of what’s happening moment-by-moment.
3. A lost loved one. Many of our loved ones are often disoriented or dealing with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Our “Lost” feature provides a Geo-locator to help you find your loved one and help them home safely. Again, you can also call local EMS to be on site for assistance and a wellness check.
4. Our “Actions” feature includes the ability to give accurate medical history and details to EMS upon arrival, ensuring the best care for your loved one.
Our goal at Watch Our Own is to help you watch your own in an easier way that streamlines information, needs of your loved one, and communication and coordination with others, all while providing reassurance of their safety. This way primary caregivers can share the load of caregiving and juggling their own lives and family reducing stress, guilt and all of the other emotions that come with being a caregiver.
We want you to, instead, make time for what matters – time with your loved one.
More features will be coming soon. Subscribe to our email list and follow us on Facebook to be the first to try each new feature as it launches.