As more older adults seek to maintain their independence while aging at home, families face the challenge of staying connected and recognizing changes in their loved ones’ well-being. Kindable is addressing this need with Loved, an AI-powered companionship and care coordination platform featuring Claire, a virtual care assistant that checks in with seniors through regular phone conversations. By turning these interactions into wellness summaries, tracking emerging trends, and sharing relevant updates with designated family members and caregivers, Loved aims to make everyday support more accessible without requiring seniors to learn new technology or use monitoring devices. In an exclusive conversation with AI Reporter America, Steve Flook, Co-Founder and CEO of Kindable, discussed how AI-powered companionship can support aging in place, strengthen family connections, and help caregivers respond more proactively while preserving seniors’ independence and dignity.

1. What inspired Kindable to launch Loved as an AI companionship platform for seniors?

The inspiration for Loved came from Kindable Co-Founder David MacFadyen. David, 86, wondered how technology could help him continue living independently at home. As the founder of more than 10 tech companies over the years, David recognized the opportunity to use AI to make it easier for older adults to stay connected and supported without the need for complicated devices or systems.

David’s vision resonated deeply with Kindable’s founding team, many of whom have firsthand experience caring for aging parents and loved ones. We understand how challenging it can be to balance caregiving with work, family, and other responsibilities, especially when you can’t physically be there every day. We created Loved to bridge that gap by combining AI-powered companionship and care coordination. Our goal is simple, and exactly what David envisioned: to help seniors maintain their independence and dignity while keeping families connected.

2. How does Claire use daily conversations to support seniors living independently?

Claire is Loved’s AI care assistant who calls seniors regularly to check in, chat, and see how they’re doing every day. Conversations are friendly and natural, covering everything from how the loved one slept and what they had for breakfast to whether they’ve taken their medications. Seniors can also call Claire anytime they’d like to talk, or to ask about the weather, the news, a recipe, or anything else they’re curious about, since Claire can look things up in real time.

Claire even remembers previous conversations, so she can follow up on something mentioned earlier, offer personalized reminders, build a sense of familiarity, and keep family members in the loop.

What makes Claire especially accessible is that seniors don’t need to download an app, wear a device, or learn new technology. They simply answer their landline or cell phone. That makes it easy to incorporate companionship and wellness check-ins into their daily routines without disrupting the independence they’re trying to maintain. And for someone who lives alone or doesn’t get to speak with family every day, having a familiar voice regularly checking in can provide an additional layer of connection and support.

3. What sets Loved apart from traditional senior-care monitoring and communication tools?

Many senior-care technologies require cameras, wearables, sensors, and other complex apps and equipment. As mentioned, seniors only need a landline or cell phone to use Loved – there’s no complicated setup or new technology for seniors to navigate.

Loved is also different because it is powered by natural daily phone conversations. Claire provides companionship while checking in on seniors’ well-being, helping families stay connected without making their loved ones feel like they're constantly being monitored.

4. How does the platform turn daily interactions into meaningful wellness insights for caregivers?

One of the most powerful things about everyday conversations is how much they can tell us about someone's well-being. During Claire’s calls, seniors can talk about their mood, sleep, appetite, medications, activities, and other aspects of daily life. Loved uses AI to turn those conversations into summaries that are shared with designated family members and caregivers through the app. Over time, the platform tracks wellness trends, helping families recognize patterns or changes they might otherwise miss.

For example, maybe a parent who usually talks about sleeping well starts mentioning restless nights, or someone who enjoys gardening suddenly stops talking about spending time outside. Loved can bring these changes to a caregiver’s attention.

The app also alerts caregivers to missed calls and can automatically create tasks when a senior mentions needing assistance. As a result, families receive more visibility into their loved one’s daily life so they can proactively ask the right questions and provide the right care.

5. How does Kindable protect seniors' privacy while delivering personalized AI companionship?

Kindable takes data privacy very seriously and follows industry best practices. Data is encrypted, access is limited based on the account permission settings, and we never sell customer data. Only those in the app’s “care circle” of designated family members and caregivers may access the data. Plus, Claire only calls with the senior’s own consent, and they can stop calls at any time just by telling her.

6. How does Loved balance AI-led support with the need for human connection and caregiver involvement?

Claire isn't meant to replace family, friends, or other caregivers. She’s there to provide an additional layer of companionship and support, particularly during the moments when loved ones can't be physically present. A daughter might not have time to call her father every morning before work, for example, but Claire can check in, see how he’s feeling, and keep the family informed. Then, when his daughter does call or visit, she has a better understanding of what’s happening in his life and where he might need extra attention.

We also recognize that caregiving shouldn’t fall entirely on one person’s shoulders, yet that’s often what happens. Loved helps families share the load by keeping everyone connected through a common care circle, shared calendars, automated tasks, and regular updates. So, rather than replacing human involvement, we’re using AI to make those connections easier and more meaningful. Ideally, technology handles some of the coordination and check-ins so families can spend less time worrying about logistics, and more time enjoying their relationships.

7. How could AI companionship reshape the future of aging in place and everyday senior care?

AI companionship has the potential to change how we approach aging in place, especially as more older adults want to remain independent and families find themselves navigating caregiving responsibilities.

Traditionally, caring for seniors has been reactive. Families might not realize something is wrong until a parent misses an appointment, experiences a health setback, or mentions a problem during an occasional phone call. AI can help shift that dynamic by making check-ins more consistent and giving caregivers greater visibility into their loved ones' well-being. It’s not a replacement for medical care or human judgment, but it can help families recognize when someone may need more support.

What excites us most is the opportunity to make this app accessible to virtually anyone, regardless of their comfort level with technology. With Loved, seniors don’t need to become tech-savvy to benefit from AI. They just need to answer the phone.

As these tools continue to evolve, we’ll see AI play a much bigger role in helping older adults maintain their independence, reducing caregiver stress, and keeping families connected. The future of aging in place should be about using technology thoughtfully to help them live the lives they want, in the places they love, for as long as possible.