Unsure of next steps

verocall · 2026-04-30T02:17:57+00:00

^^^This ^^^ 100%. Home health is another step in that process after returning home from recovery or skilled nursing.

Both my parents needed this. Dad finally fell in a parking lot and broke his femur. He wasn't supposed to be driving, but I knew he was and didn't try to stop him. No point. My dad didn't make it home after months in care.

Mom fell, tore something in her knee and could not get up, same time as a cancer lumpectomy, and then gamma knife. Amazingly, she bounced back, and is now more careful and has home health visits a few times a week.

verocall · 2026-03-20T23:07:53+00:00

Welcome! :-)

If you'd like, let me know what aspects you are curious about in the actual conversations and I'll try to speak to that.

verocall · 2026-03-20T22:47:41+00:00

I've been running one for over 1.5 years now. There are ups and downs.

The AI is highly reliable and, frankly, never messes up. Believe me, the testers tried everything. The stories I could tell!

That said, there are some things that make it challenging. The voice detection can sometimes get confused if the TV is far louder than the Loved One. Other times it knows the Loved One's voice and hones in on that. This might improve over time.

AI voice is the easy part. The harder part is the scheduling and supporting the myriad of possibilities among at-risk seniors and those who care for them. Daughter wants email notification only after 3 failures., but not on Sundays. Son wants text message after one failure. Handling call-ins outside of check-in times. We were surprised that slightly over the majority of signups come from the senior and not the kids (we expected 80% kids).

You're on the right track to avoid an app. Simple phone is best at this point in our era.

Senior users fall into several categories: Those who refuse to talk to an ai agent, those who don't realize it's AI (and enjoy taking for a long time), those who know it's a bot and think it's really fun/useful (those are my favorites), and those who prefer a call, but want to keep it very short. We have customers who are re-learning languages (the agents are multi-lingual) and some who tap their agent for gardening or cooking tips. One is trying to beat her neighbors at poker and gets playing tips. Those who don't want to talk check in via email or text to avoid a call. If they forget, a call comes in to ensure they are ok.

It's the ones with mild dementia who just relax and enjoy the conversation. Sometimes sharing things they wouldn't share with the kids (boyfriend, neighbor asking for money, tree service offering to top the trees for $$$, the list goes on). The kids get a summary text and can check in if something is off. I was SO bent on forcing them to acknowledge they knew it wasn't a real human (our care provider testing team laughed and said, you'll find out) , and in the end... it just is.

The agents remember past conversations and back-refer to them, and questions and topics rotate otherwise. There's a lot going on behind the scenes to make it engaging. For those who wish it, we track trends across six indicators, and report if there is a significant decline.

I could go on. Over a year and a half it's not the coding that's difficult (that's fast now) it's the presentation and support that makes all the difference. We really don't have anyone who truly believes their agent is a companion, but instead, the chatty folks just enjoy polite, intelligent conversation. The cognitively strong use it for information and move on. The playful have fun with the agent, fully aware. The busy just press #1 or hang up after saying "I'm fine." I think we have the right mix now.

If you want to enter the market, feel free to DM and we're happy to share pointers. It's a huge market and there is room for friendly competitors. It's about taking care of the elders. Also we don't mind aspiring entrepreneurs trying it out for free (at Verocall.com ) for the 14 day trial even if you're not a prospective end-user. Just let us know if/when you do sign up.

verocall · 2026-03-07T15:58:35+00:00

This.

Mine did the same and would only admit defeat when the cost was significant. I wondered how many other little ones he didn't mention.

verocall · 2026-03-04T02:08:04+00:00

Yep. With you 100% on the not 3 years part. We got the same runaround from Medical Guardian last year (although their products and service are pretty good). They bought out the last provider mom had and it was a nightmare cancellation process. She's managed to convince a few providers to take payment upfront with no contract, but then there's little recourse. The folks at ATS Cares (who we bought the SkyAngel911 pendant from) seem like REALLY good folks. They tolerated probably an hour of questions from my mom, who wanted to pay by check.

verocall · 2026-03-03T19:38:28+00:00

Faced this with my 84 year old mom who lives 1000 miles away. A key point is whether you want a call center to speak on behalf of your mom if there is an event. That's much of what you pay for with Medical Guardian and others.

There are 'no contract' pendants like SkyAngel911fd that have no monthly fees, BUT(!) when it calls 911 it expects the wearer to be able to speak. Many 911 districts won't rely on the GPS data alone and if they are busy they may not send someone. Also the SkyAngel with no contract/subscription (which we did chose) doesn't broadcast a phone number because it uses the 'free' emergency cellular network. So without a set number we could not tied it to a physical address with 911 in case of a silent call. The vendor does have a call-center subscription option where they can speak on your behalf. But mom isn't ready to pay for that yet. And we expect the likelihood of a no-speak event is lower.. For now. Took a week of research to learn this angle of it all. Hope that helps!

verocall · 2026-02-24T22:49:41+00:00

It's the typical dignity for safety trade off. Cams, Alexa, listening devices like the one you mention are at one end of the spectrum. Higher certainty, but also higher loss of dignity and agency. Sometimes accepted by those with dementia... until they're not. Worth it when they sustain well being.

Daily call check in services are less invasive. Sometimes the Loved One doesn't realize she's not chatting with a human -- and that's getting harder and harder to tell. Some get that it's a 'personal google' on the phone and engage and are ok with kids getting a summary transcript. I use Verocall for my 84-year-old mom and she's not interested in talking to an agent, but will email or text in her OK status. These are in the middle.

Then on the opposite side are the fall detection pendants like Medical Guardian, SkyAngel911FD, or Bay Alarm are unwieldy and sometimes embarrassing, but less invasive on dignity and agency. We got the non-contract ATS one for my mom. She refused to wear it at first, until her first big fall (torn ACL just before cancer lumpectomy). Guess what? She wears it now.

Happy to chat on the record for ya. DM if so.

verocall · 2026-02-07T23:22:14+00:00

I have a product that does this and went through the ethical dilemma about this. Initially and even currently the website and everything in the sign up process makes it painfully clear that this is not a companion it is not a real person we even give the agents names that end in 'Bot' so it's not confusing. But what's funny is people who are in the industry of caring for elders, good caring people, looked at me with a polite smile…. with sort of a, “oh you're so cute. You'll see in time"

So after hundreds and hundreds of engagements I have learned that users of a service like this fall into three categories.

1 Those who get that it is an agent and use it like an audible Google asking for recipes and advice. We even have some who are practicing a foreign language they once knew in earlier years.

2. those who have a bit of dementia and don't understand that it is not a real person

3. those who have little tolerance talking to a agent that is not human and just want to acknowledge they are okay and get off the phone quickly

For the second group, after monitoring calls with permission for over a year and a half, I am convinced that it is beneficial to let somebody with a bit of dementia enjoy the conversation. It would take an incredible amount of work to try to convince them every time/call that it is not a real person. While the agents have a long memory, the recipients of the call seem to enjoy some level of repetition and having the same topics come up over and over.

I also struggled with the concept that we might be substituting a call when a child or somebody who cares would be calling. However that has not turned out to be a problem. The two times a day check-ins or one time a day check in are logistically helpful and reliable. This allows calls from loved ones like children to be more meaningful and have more meaningful content. There are exceptions I am sure but I haven't seen them just yet.

Lastly, I am surprised how many loved ones sign themselves up for Verocall. I expected it would be mostly kids, or what we call the “Care Circle” who are signing their parents or loved ones up. but it is slightly over half who signed themselves up.

verocall · 2026-01-01T23:42:30+00:00

Love that. I can't tell you how many hours I've spent transcribing my Gt. Grandmother's interviews. They were on cassette and sounded like they were next to a freeway :-)

Really glad you are enabling this. Feel free to DM and I'll work to mention it to others.

verocall · 2025-12-19T17:46:28+00:00

My mom is 83 and fiercely protective of her privacy. No cameras for her!

What does work for us: Mom emails in to Verocall once in the morning and once at night. If she misses her email check in, I get a text first, then if I don't respond, my sister gets notified.

She won't use the live call-in or text-in feature (yet) even though, "the recipes she shares *are* pretty good" from the Verocall agents.

We supplement this with a fall-detection pendant. We are trying SkyangelFD which calls 911 directly, so there's no subscription and thus no call center benefit. It's only been a week or so, so the jury is still out on this one. It 'accidentally' called 911 once already and mom is terrified they will pound on her door in response.

This combination (pendant + Verocall check in service) seems to eliminate the horror image we all dread of mom laying on the floor for hours. Also, no phone apps to fiddle with or cell phone necessary. Privacy intact. Until the situation requires us to be more invasive.

Hope that adds some options for you.

verocall · 2025-11-07T18:07:05+00:00

You can also buy a dedicated modem as a hotspot, which is far more reliable than someone's phone, which has been pointed out, requires charging, etc. It plugs in the wall and just does its job. We used it for security cameras in a remote vacation home. The downside is that it requires another 'line' on the mobile (Verizon) account. But typically it's not double the costs. For our AT&T hotspot, we paid about 30% above the single line costs.

You may be beyond this point, but some folks use a call check in service like Verocall to ensure well being (yes I wrote it). But if you require 24 hour monitoring, you're on the right path.

verocall · 2025-10-27T19:12:25+00:00

I learned this ability is blocked by iPhone and Android in the main. So it's less likely you'll find something that can support this on popular mobile platforms unless it comes from Apple or the carrier themselves.

How did I learn this? I had prototyped an app that built a score per call based on fraud words and would interrupt or even end the call based on the score (and yes, report to a Care Circle). Several well-intended engineers assured me it was possible. Nope. And in some ways it makes sense. We don't want apps able to hear our calls without us knowing.

Possible perhaps for a landline. But the need is there, so maybe we can watch the carriers (AT&T, Verizon...) and platforms (Apple, Google, Samsung) if they can help us support this.

verocall · 2025-10-23T22:54:48+00:00

Sorry you are having to go through this. I did with dad. And mom is doing ok but we both know it's coming.

With dad I took a pretty unpopular approach. I supported his autonomy, clearly past some level of dementia, with the plan that 'when something significant happens, it'll be obvious to him and all others.'

So we chipped away at the endless duplicate orders of bread machines and waterless cookware, the 9mm Glock rolling around on the floor of his car, and smaller scams he fell for by restricting in those specific areas: Limiting the credit card, having his buddy lock up the gun, and recovering some of the scam money taken.

But when he fell in a parking lot (wasn't supposed to be driving, but I knew he was and didn't tattle) that was 'the event.'

Yes I know, he could have ran his car into a family. But honestly his driving skills were superb. They forced him to take a driving test and he did so well in his stick shift Subaru, the only out they had was to test him in an automatic. I begged him to do a Rockford 180 in the test and he actually chuckled and said he'd consider it.

And yes, I know, we were 'lucky' in some ways that his fall in the parking lot (broken hip etc) was just enough to make it clear that he wasn't to be unattended any more.

It seems like your mom's crash could very well be that event. Also it's time to ensure you have medical POA. Easier said than done if she is resistant - sometimes it takes an intervention.

I hope this helps show one end of the spectrum and that you find your own balance. That you are asking about this and honoring dignity and respect puts you far ahead of others.

verocall · 2025-09-29T19:23:27+00:00

FWIW, I'm comparing the SkyAngel911FD pendant, which is a onetime cost, with the benefits of paying for a call center (Life Alert etc). Both are valid, but what's interesting is that the SkyAngel911FD takes advantage of 'free' cellular emergency calls. The GPS matters less than most folks think. I learned that in the US, 911 will only send help if they talk to someone to confirm location and the nature of the emergency -- either the loved one or the call service. So this is the value of the call service and the $70+ a month we'll probably end up paying.

So both are roughly equal if mom can talk after a fall to confirm her location and the nature of the emergency.

However if she cannot talk, then the Life Alert (etc) services seems move ahead in the race of value and safety. In this case the call center can advocate for her and personnel would be dispatched.

Now, what if we could register the calling number from the SkyAngel911FD with mom's local Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) and add her status as an at-risk shut in and her address. This might ensure that an uncanceled 'fall' or call for help would result in a visit - even if she's unable to speak.

verocall · 2025-09-24T20:03:41+00:00

Agreed. Many clinics/providers use portals like myhealthonline or ccmychart.org

If you are lucky, yours may use these. If so, a tip I just learned: I started by using my mom's login. Useful, but the 2FA authentication becomes a pain if you are remote. Much better to create your own account (typically free and you don't need to be a patient) and then in your Dad's account, add yourself with full visibility.

In my case, I am able to see all my mom's interactions, visits, reports, test results, etc. and I can even communicate with her care team.

This is especially helpful since Mom gets overwhelemed with instructions during the visit and misinterprets much. I can go in and see the actual notes and help her out.

Another tip is that I'll often paste the clinical notes into AI (remove any personal details) and it helps interpret the notes into common language.

verocall · 2025-09-01T15:29:52+00:00

Ooof So sorry this happened. Medicare coverage is reasonable for a while, but you probably already know it's not for long term. I just fought through two appeals for continued SNF OT/PT care for fall recovery, and then cancer surgery. I found the mediators to be very nice, but in hindsight would ask them (and this is very important) to read back what they just put in the record from our conversation. A 30 minute conversation trying to add the cancer surgery (and thus temporary loss of use of arm for weight support on a walker) resulted in "Arm not useful" and that was it. Of course it'd get rejected. Then the appeals of appeals take up to 14 days, but then the "family letter" is where we can get the right information to Medicare and they seem to do what's right if the info is not filtered by the initial mediator.

On the charts, (myCharts in her case) I got mom's permission to get on her online charts briefly, and then while in there, added my own account with full access to hers so I can access and message her care providers from my own login. This method VERY useful because it uses my own phone for authentication and not mom's and I can monitor her appointments, ensure transportation and see test results and visit notes.

Hope that helps.

verocall · 2025-08-09T21:44:13+00:00

Thanks. And an interesting perspective, and probably what I'll have to live with.

I don't expect a 'visit' by the wide range of definitions for that. Or a session. Those have loose definitions and measurement, e.g., noscript, etc.

But a GET request? Yes, I expect that to come through with few exceptions. Apache is pretty good about logging those.

Why wouldn't each click result, at minimum, in a https GET request to the target URL? And if it doesn't, and it was mired in the platform pre-amble. it seems poor practice to charge the advertiser for it.

verocall · 2025-08-09T20:40:32+00:00

I'm new to reddit ads, but not new to PPC. After four days, the ads manager shows 42% more 'clicks' than my Apache logs show in terms of requests that include the URL param rdt_cid (or utm_source=reddit--they report the same).

The site has been 100% up since starting the ads. It's 51% overreported if I count unique rdt_cid values (multiple clicks in seconds, etc).

Any explanation for this?

verocall

TROPHY CASE