TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — THE AVERGAGE AMERICAN AGE IS GETTING OLDER AND OLDER, AND ACCORDING TO U.S. CENSUS DATA FROM 20-25, HALF OF AMERICANS 75 YEARS-OLD AND OLDER ARE LIVING ON THEIR OWN.
“As we get older, it becomes a little more scary living alone and dangerous,” Matagrano said.
He knows better than most. Matagrano took care of his wife at the end of her life. He said, now, he wants to make that experience less scary for those aging or suffering through sickness on their own.
So, he partnered with his cousin Joanne Matagrano-Mullin, who was caring for her aging father, to technology to make a service that checks-in on seniors living solo.
“A lot of them live alone," Matagrano-Mullin said. "A lot of them are disabled. A lot of them have lost loved ones.”
Their first client, Carole Reer, signed up shorty after the service launched once she heard about it on Facebook. Reer says she got the service to make sure she has someone checking in on her every day since she lives over an hour from her son and her daughter lives out of state.
“I could fall," she said. "I could have gotten sick. I could’ve had an attack or something. I do have a tendency to pass out every so often.”
She's one of 200 recipients of the daily text messages sent to seniors across the country.
“It’s a very non-invasive way of checking in on you," Matagrano said. "As long as you respond, you don’t hear from us. It’s when you don’t respond, that’s when we step in.”
Caring Connections sends clients a text when they wake up, asking them to check in. If the client doesn't respond, another text comes in a few hours later. If someone still doesn't respond to that one, a third text is sent.
If there's still no answer, Matagrano-Mullin says, "we’re going to give you a call. We’re going to try calling you several times. If you don’t answer, we’re going to call your emergency contact.”
If their clients emergency contact can't be reached, a real person from Caring Connections reaches out to local law enforcement for a wellness check.
The texts aren't just for safety, for clients like Reer, it's also a sort of social contact in the mornings.
“When I wake up in the morning that’s almost the first thing I think of," Reer said. "It’s very pleasant and [uplifting]. It kind of makes you feel good.”
A feeling that circles right back around to the founders.
“It’s everyone’s job to take care of each other,” said Matagrano-Mullin.
For those interested, head to the Caring Connections Website.
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Alex Dowd is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9, where her work combines her two favorite hobbies: talking to new people and learning about the community around her. Her goal is to eventually meet every single person in Tucson. Share your story ideas with Alex via email, alex.dowd@kgun9.com, or connecting on Instagram or X.
