Common questions
The questions people actually ask — including the hard ones.
Including whether it can call an ambulance (it cannot), whether it pretends to be a person (it does not), and what to do if your parent does not want it.
For the person it’s for
Do they need a smartphone?
No. Operator works on any phone that can make a call — a landline, a flip phone, a smartphone they never use as one. There is no app, no screen, and nothing to charge. Members can also talk to Operator from a web browser on any computer, through the members’ area.
Do they have to learn anything?
They dial one number the way they dial anyone else, and Operator answers and greets them by name. Your personal operator can answer any questions about what it can and cannot do — and it brings your feedback straight to us, so the service keeps improving.
What if they are hard of hearing?
Operator speaks slowly and clearly, and will repeat anything as many times as it is asked to without any sign of impatience. It does not have a timer and will not rush anyone off the phone. It also works with hearing aids and other assistive devices connected to a phone, computer, or smartphone.
Will they know it isn’t a person?
Yes — Operator says so at the start of every call, unprompted, and again if it is asked. We will not build a product for older adults that pretends to be a human being.
What if they don’t want it?
Then it should be turned off. If a caller tells Operator they do not want this, it tells them how to have it stopped and we act on that. Setting it up for someone is not the same as deciding for them.
What it can and can’t do
Can it call an ambulance?
No. Operator is not an emergency service and cannot dispatch anyone. If a caller describes an emergency, Operator says so plainly and tells them to hang up and call 911. Do not use it as a medical alert device.
Will it give medical advice?
No. It will not interpret symptoms, suggest a dose, or say whether to see a doctor. It can remind someone of what you have told it, and it can pass a question on to the person who should answer it.
Is it listening when they’re not on a call?
No. There is no device in the house and no microphone. Operator only knows what is said on a call it is on.
Can it be used to scam them?
Operator cannot make purchases, move money, or take card details, so there is nothing for it to be tricked into doing. It also never asks for a card number, which makes "Operator would never ask you for that" a useful thing to tell your parent.
What if it doesn’t know the answer?
It says so, rather than guessing, and offers to pass the question to a family contact. We would rather it be visibly limited than confidently wrong.
Setting it up and running it
How long does setup take?
About ten minutes, on your own phone or laptop. The person Operator is for does not need to be there and does not need to do anything.
Can more than one family member be involved?
Yes, in the way that matters day to day: the contact list decides who Operator can call or pass a message to, and anyone in the family can be on it. The conversations themselves stay private — only someone who signs in with the member’s own account can read them. There is no group access to an account.
What do I see after a call?
Signed in to the members’ area, every call appears on the conversations page with a short summary — when it was and what it was about — and the full conversation if you want to read it.
Can Operator ring them, rather than waiting?
Yes. You can set check-in calls on a schedule — a morning hello, a reminder the evening before an appointment — and you are told how each one went, including when it was not answered.
What languages does it speak?
English today. If the person Operator is for is more comfortable in another language, tell us which one — that demand is how we decide what to add next.
Care communities
Can our staff take over a call?
Yes. On a care community plan a staff member can step into a live call at any point, with everything said so far already in front of them, so nobody starts cold.
Does each of our homes get its own number?
Yes. Each community gets its own private space and its own phone number, with its own greeting, hours and transfer rules. Nothing is pooled between your sites.
Will you sign a BAA?
Yes, and we expect to for care community accounts. Ask us and we will get the documents to your compliance team. Please do not send protected health information through this website before it is signed.
Not answered here?
Ask us. A person reads every message and replies within one business day — before you have paid for anything.