Combating loneliness at Sit By Care
Earlier this year, Dr. Vivek Murthy, the Surgeon General of the United States, released a report titled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation,” which revealed that the lack of social connections in our lives can be as harmful as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day!
Dr. Murthy also highlighted the negative impact of loneliness on various aspects of well-being, such as an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death.
However, he did offer a constructive plan in the report. He writes:
“Each of us can start now, in our own lives, by strengthening our connections and relationships. Our individual relationships are an untapped resource—a source of healing hiding in plain sight. They can help us live healthier, more productive, and more fulfilled lives. Answer that phone call from a friend. Make time to share a meal. Listen without the distraction of your phone. Perform an act of service. Express yourself authentically. The keys to human connection are simple, but extraordinarily powerful.”
Meet Geetika Sinha, a California-based entrepreneur, whose vision closely aligns with Dr Murthy’s on loneliness, and she provides a practical solution to address these challenges. Tapping into this very human connection that Mr. Murthy talks about in the report, she launched SitByCare in 2021 with the sole aim of providing companionship and care services to people in hospitals, care facilities, and homes.
Through SitByCare, she is determined to make a positive impact on people’s lives and contribute to a healthier and happier society. “This platform facilitates connections and meaningful interactions among individuals reducing the feeling of loneliness among its users,” said Geetika.
“No longer would someone have to worry if they could not be with their loved ones in a hospital, care facility, home, or anywhere. In the world of SitByCare, technology allows everyone to get companionship where & when they need it in day-to-day life situations,” shares the platform.
A Mother‘s Resilience
Geetika’s journey to entrepreneurship is one that truly embodies resilience and compassion. In 2017, her daughter, Akanksha, whom she lovingly called Titli, succumbed to a prolonged, critical illness. After suffering what she called ‘the biggest loss of her life,’ she moved to San Francisco in search of her purpose with nothing but a few belongings and memories of her late daughter. She tried her hand at different things, but nothing seemed to come naturally to her. “I tried working as a healthcare worker, teacher, and even sales associate but nothing seemed to come naturally to me, I was just not the same emotionally,” she shared.
It was during one such pursuit that Geetika’s thoughts drifted back to her daughter’s extended hospital stay. This period exposed her to a stark reality: the profound loneliness often experienced by patients and their families in medical settings. Having personally witnessed the detrimental effects of loneliness on patients and their families, Geetika shared:
“For the first time, I saw, experienced, and realized how a patient’s life in a hospital could be so full of loneliness and despair.” Despite navigating her trauma, she visualized a hospital environment, which was more interactive and welcoming—a place where patients could find hope and solace.
So, she committed herself to creating a service where no patient or family feels alone and is aided along the treatment journey with warm and supportive companions to bring them some joy & comfort.
This was the moment when the idea of SitByCare occurred to her.
Talking about the central theme of her platform, Geetika shared that her daughter, Akanksha’s interest in community service was also a huge inspiration for her to start SitByCare. “She was in fact the one who always wanted to give back to the society, contribute to the community.”
This is evident from Akanksha’s blog, where she wrote about taking a gap year after high school to participate in the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program to learn about neurodevelopmental disorders in patients.
“I wanted to use that knowledge to focus on serving my society before plunging into college. I was shadowing a pediatric neurology clinic and found myself wanting to learn more about the conditions and lives of the patients I would regularly observe. I’m participating in LEND because it gives me a wholesome view of neurodevelopmental disorders; I learn about them from many different perspectives and angles I had no idea factored into the quality of an individual’s health. I am participating in LEND to broaden my horizons, and have a better knowledge of the neurodevelopmental conditions that have touched me, intrigued me, and directed me towards healthcare,” shared Akanksha in her blog.
Matching with companions
The platform provides companionship to people of all ages, from ages 5 to 85. To become a companion, individuals must complete a short video training program that covers the essential dos and don’ts of providing companionship services.
Once trained, they can choose to specialize as a health companion, a kid companion, or offer both services. According to their website, individuals are matched based on their needs with a trained companion under the following categories:
Home Companion: Home companions play a pivotal role in respite care, offering invaluable support, companionship, and assistance to individuals in the comfort of their own homes. They help alleviate loneliness, facilitate faster recovery from illnesses, and foster emotional and mental security. According to SitByCare, their personalized matching system ensures compatibility between each client and their sitter. This system pairs individuals based on shared languages, interests, and the specific needs of the client. By providing home companionship, the platform grants family members much-needed respite from their caregiving responsibilities, preventing burnout and ensuring their loved ones receive the highest quality care, which, as a result, positively impacts the overall well-being of the entire family.
Kid Companion: These companions are more than just babysitters. They offer a world of fun and learning that is customized to a child’s interests. According to the platform, these companions not only keep children engaged with stimulating games and activities, but also help them with their schoolwork. They organize exciting outings to parks, museums, libraries, and other child-friendly places, which inspires exploration and discovery. In terms of safety, SitByCare shared that these companions undergo rigorous training and thorough background checks to ensure that they are qualified and capable of working with children. The website states that they have the skills and expertise to create a safe, supportive, and engaging environment for your child.
Health Companion: Health companions specialize in providing personalized support, care, and comfort to individuals, especially senior citizens, in hospitals and care facilities when family and friends are unable to provide that support due to other commitments.
Companions are trained and experienced, and their compassionate and empathetic approach ensures that they meet one’s physical, emotional, and social needs, ensuring comfort and well-being. SitByCare shared that these companions tailor their support to meet an individual’s specific needs and are reliable and trusted professionals when it comes to maintaining strict confidentiality.
Lifestyle Companion: A lifestyle companion ‘inspires, challenges and helps you become the best version of yourself,’ shares SitByCare. They engage individuals in meaningful conversations, accompany them on outings, and assist them in exploring new hobbies, interests, and activities that promote personal growth. In addition to sharing their knowledge, skills, and experiences, a lifestyle companion can assist individuals with technology use to facilitate access to online resources. They also celebrate achievements, both big and small, acknowledge progress and successes, fostering a sense of accomplishment. They further assist individuals in overcoming obstacles and reinforce accountability.
Virtual Companion: A virtual companion connects with individuals remotely through video calls to provide emotional support, engage in conversation, and offer companionship, regardless of time, distance, mobility issues, or health concerns. They can also help individuals learn new skills, pursue interests, participate in online classes and workshops, and find support groups to connect with others facing similar challenges. “They foster meaningful conversations, actively engage and listen attentively, create a comfortable virtual environment, and demonstrate empathy and understanding. They also share visual experiences and activities, are creative and adaptable, provide support and encouragement, and always respect privacy and boundaries,” says their website.
In addition to the list of services, SitByCare will be introducing two new companionship services soon. These are Host Companions and Companions with Boarding.
Host Companions open their homes to offer companionship to individuals, where they can spend quality hours in the homes of Companions, much like a daycare but with the personal touch of being in a real home. It is an opportunity for individuals to break away from routine, experience new surroundings, and, most importantly, forge genuine connections.
On the other hand, Companions with Boarding provides overnight companionship to individuals, particularly senior citizens requiring nighttime supervision, or anyone needing temporary overnight care.
Geetika shared that companionship services are at the core of SitByCare’s theme, and any other services offered by the platform can be added to any of the companionship services mentioned above. For example, if an individual requires help with household chores, such as meal preparation or laundry, along with companionship, they can do so by specifying it and adding it to their preferred companionship service. This flexible approach ensures that they receive the right balance of companionship and practical assistance.
What is it like to be a companion?
Audrey Fong, who had the opportunity to assist a family through SitByCare, shared that the most fulfilling part of her role as a companion was to provide a sense of happiness and care to individuals. Given her prior experience with kids in a variety of childcare environments, Fong was matched with a family where her responsibilities included looking after the kids for a few hours on Sundays while also performing light housework duties. “I helped the father clean up the house, folded the laundry, and played with the kids. I was happy that I was not just looking after the children but was also able to relieve the father from household chores so that he could take some time out for himself,” said Fong.
Another companion, David Embry, who has been a caregiver on and off for the last 20 years, shared that he was able to provide companionship to an elderly person in his 70s through the platform. “I helped him with light house chores, assisting him around the house whenever required. Older people need somebody who can be there for them in terms of safety and loneliness,” said Embry.
Individuals’ experience with SitByCare
Individuals who have used this platform share how finding a trustworthy companion for their loved ones simplified their day-to-day lives.
One of the individuals who used SitByCare shared how easy it was to find a home companion for her mother on the platform. “I was pleasantly surprised to find not just any companion, but someone who spoke the languages my mother knows and shared her passion for gardening! It was a huge relief to be able to leave my mother in the companion’s care while I went to work.”
Another individual shared how SitByCare proved to be a lifesaver at a time when he struggled to juggle between his work and family. “Sitbycare appealed to me since it focused on companionship. I was looking for a babysitter who would not only provide the right care but also high-quality interaction with my kids.
Message to other entrepreneurs
Talking about her journey as an entrepreneur, Geetika shared how it has been a long and hands-on experience. Drawing experiences from her journey, she believes that resilience and patience play a huge role in one’s entrepreneurial journey.
“The single biggest challenge as a bootstrapped startup is creating a very dedicated team that is both geographically and skill-wise widely distributed.” This, she added, involves task and time coordination between employees, paid freelancers, and many other experts volunteering because they believe in the mission. “Challenges are inevitable but stay focused on the mission/vision with which you started,” she said.
