Frequently asked questions

According to a report on healthy aging from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one-third of adults aged 45 and older feel lonely, and nearly one-fourth of adults aged 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated.

Loneliness and social isolation in older adults are serious public health risks.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recent studies found that:

• Social isolation significantly increased a person’s risk of premature death from all causes, a risk that may rival those of smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity.
• Social isolation was associated with about a 50% increased risk of dementia.
• Poor social relationships (characterized by social isolation or loneliness) was associated with a 29% increased risk of heart disease and a 32% increased risk of stroke.
• Loneliness was associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide.
• Loneliness among heart failure patients was associated with a nearly 4 times increased risk of death, 68% increased risk of hospitalization, and 57% increased risk of emergency department visits.

Yes, according to research published by the National Library of Medicine (NCBI), speech analysis is a promising tool for diagnosing mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. The reported features seem to be indicators of the cognitive changes in older people.  The research confirms that the analysis of speech signal among people with Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment is a useful tool for detecting subtle changes in their language. There are indeed rhythmic and acoustic features that characterize the voices of these patients and can be used with great success to diagnose their condition. It constitutes an efficient, cheap, and easy-to-use tool that may facilitate the screening of dementias. 

Yes.  The AssistedShare platform is HIPAA compliant and leverages AWS security services.  Conversations are never recorded.  The AI provides additional safety during video chats by ensuring respectful language is used, and intervening if personal information, such as credit card number, is requested.   

No apps are required to be downloaded.  The platform automatically uses WebRTC to enable a video chat when residents respond to an SMS text message.  

The AssistedShare platform aims to introduce residents to each other in a meaningful way by pairing them randomly in a round-robin fashion. This approach ensures that every resident has the opportunity to meet and interact with every other resident, which will foster social connections and improve their well-being.

No.  Speech analytics is a complementary tool and not a substitute for clinical evaluation.  

We offer a monthly subscription membership plan which includes software maintenance, upgrades and customer support.  Membership can be canceled at anytime. Contact us for further details and pricing.

There is a possibility of residents from different facilities meeting each other, but it is dependent on the approval of the management of each respective facility.

Yes.  At the end of each introductory video chat, residents will have the option to decide if they want to continue speaking with the other person. If both parties agree, they will then be added to each other’s friend list and have the ability to video chat on the platform at any time.