Acerca de

First All-in-One Caregiving App Offers Free Downloads for National Family Caregivers Month

Morristown, TN (October 2024) – In the United States, more than 53 million people are unpaid caregivers ,managing everything from routine checkups to critical medical care for their loved ones. For these caregivers, many of whom juggle careers, families, and the immense responsibility of caregiving, the challenges can be overwhelming. In recognition of National Family Caregivers Month in November, the all-in-one caregiving app Watch Our Own is free to download in iOS.

​

Watch Our Own was developed to support caregivers by consolidating essential tools for managing the complexities of caregiving all in one place, introducing a novel approach to caregiving coordination through a patented Event Engine and new Task Manager. This technology allows for full coordination and delegation of tasks and facilitates the tracking of incidents and emergencies, real-time communication, and the ability to offer support even when physical presence is not possible.

​

The Caregiver Crisis: A Growing Challenge
 

The rise of unpaid caregiving in the U.S. is placing increasing pressure on families, particularly women, who often sacrifice careers and personal wellbeing to care for aging parents or relatives. The physical and emotional of caregiving can lead to burnout, with as many as 20% of family caregivers showing signs of depression, twice the rate of the general population. The financial toll is staggering with lost income due to family caregiving estimated to be a staggering $522 billion each year, per the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS).

Giancarlo Paolillo, CEO of Watch Our Own, experienced these challenges firsthand. As the primary caregiver for his mother, Paolillo struggled to balance his demanding job, family responsibilities, and his mother’s care. And so did his wife, Sherrie Simms, Co-founder of Watch Our Own, who was a caregiver to a parent. Determined to find a solution, Paolillo, an experienced developer, and Simms created Watch Our Own to ease the burden on caregivers like himself.

​

“Everyone you know has someone in their life that they are taking care of right now,” Paolillo said. “I juggled caring for my mother, my family, and being productive at work. What I needed was one tool to help me coordinate and manage her care. Now, others can have the same tool for free.”

Watch Our Own: A New Era in Caregiving

​

Before Watch Our Own, caregivers often relied on a patchwork of apps and tools to manage their loved one’s needs. Paolillo and his team envisioned a more streamlined approach, developing a single app that offers everything caregivers need, reducing stress and ensuring effective caregiving.

​

The app’s patented Event Engine is a standout feature, allowing caregivers to track incidents and emergencies, locate loved ones, and connect with the group in real time and emergency services—all from within the app. This innovative technology provides peace of mind, ensuring that help is just a tap away.

​

Key Features of Watch Our Own:

​

• Create a Group: Easily assemble a team of family and friends to share caregiving responsibilities.

• Manage Health Information: Store vital health data, including medical conditions, medications, and allergies, for quick reference.

• Schedule Reminders: Set up reminders for medications, appointments, and caregiving tasks.

• Task Tracker: Tasks can be created, shared, and delegated for individuals or group members.

• Emergency Assistance: Help can be requested from the group or a direct connection to emergency services can be made using a single touch or a voice-activated command.

• Secure Communication: Use secure chat and video features to keep everyone informed.

• Geo-Locator: Quickly find a loved one in an emergency and navigate to them.

• Real-Time Updates: When an incident occurs, use in-app chat, calls, and video streaming to keep the caregiving group engaged in real-time.

• Customization: The app can be tailored to meet the specific needs of loved ones, offering optional features to suit unique situations.

“Family caregivers are critical, not just to their loved one’s health and wellbeing, but also to the economy,” says Simms. “Today’s caregivers are often caught in the middle—caring for their children and their aging parents. They need support, empathy, and tools that simplify their lives while ensuring their loved ones are well cared for. Watch Our Own does it all.” She adds that providing the app for free is one less financial burden on caregivers.

###

About Watch Our Own

Founded in 2019, Watch Our Own is a 360-caregiving coordination phone application with patented Event Management and Task Management system that makes caring for a loved one easier. As caregivers ourselves, we’re dedicated to providing an integrated solution to deal with the many aspects of caregiving – time management, task management and delegation, appointment scheduling, medicine, organizing transportation, major events – while allowing family and friends to share responsibilities and stay connected. Watch Our Own is the first all-in-one platform for caregivers to manage the care of their loved one in a single application. www.WatchOurOwn.com