At CareYaya, our mission is to genuinely improve the lives of older adults. We're now doing so with voice AI tools that feel familiar, respectful, and deeply human. Today we’re proud to announce a new collaboration with The Foundation for Sustaining The Good Life (TGL) and the UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare’s Center for Advanced Study of Aging Services (CASAS) to develop a novel Voice AI assistant tailored to the multi-dimensional needs of older adults in communities across California.
Why voice? Why now?
We founded QuikTok - an AI phone companion for older adults - precisely to bridge the digital divide. Unlike many “app-based” solutions, QuikTok works over a standard phone line, so no smartphone or computing skills are required. It can carry meaningful conversation, “remember” past interactions, prompt cognitive exercises, and gently monitor for early signs of mental health or cognitive decline.
QuikTok has attracted attention for lifting social engagement, reducing symptoms of loneliness, and gently flagging red flags for deeper follow-up. Meanwhile, CareYaya’s core platform already harnesses AI, caregiving, and community to deliver compassionate support to older adults in their homes.
Our approach is built on human-centered design. That’s why CareYaya was honored to be selected as a finalist in the National Institute on Aging’s Startup Challenge (2025), a recognition of our promise in aging innovation. (We’re actively piloting in several research and care settings now.) We have also been featured on the AARP AgeTech Collaborative blog, where CareYaya's CEO Neal K. Shah spoke on how voice-first AI can empower older adults to navigate health systems and aging challenges.
What the new collaboration will build
Together with TGL and UC Berkeley CASAS, we are co-designing and piloting a voice AI assistant specifically for communities served by The Good Life. Key features will include:
-
Culturally responsive conversation modules (bilingual in Spanish/English, attuned to regional food, health, and aging topics)
-
Program navigation support, where older adults can call in to ask about farmers markets, cooking class schedules, healthy aging tips, and more
-
Cognitive & emotional scaffolding, offering prompts, reminiscence, gentle monitoring, and referral flags
-
Seamless human handoffs, where escalations connect to TGL staff or caregivers
-
Embedded learning and evaluation, leveraging UC Berkeley CASAS’s expertise to rigorously test outcomes (engagement, loneliness, cognitive maintenance)
We envision a future where voice AI becomes a trusted companion and access point. Not replacing human connection, but amplifying it.
Why this matters
-
Accessibility & equity: Many older adults in underserved communities do not own or use smartphones. Voice over telephone can reach a broader population.
-
Trust & familiarity: The phone is a familiar medium. Introducing AI by phone lowers anxiety around “new tech.”
-
Scalability: A voice assistant that handles routine queries frees TGL’s team to focus on proactive outreach and program impact.
-
Evidence & learning: With CASAS, we can generate empirical evidence of impact in underinvested communities.
A call to community & funders
We believe this collaboration has the potential to transform how voice AI supports healthy aging, especially in communities that have been left behind by most digital innovation. We are eager to share pilot results, voice design insights, and best practices for voice-first accessibility as this work unfolds.
If you’d like to learn more, support pilot deployments, or explore partnerships in other regions, we welcome the conversation. Together, we can make voice a bridge - not a barrier - to the good life for older adults across America.