AI-Powered Caregiving

Family caregivers in America provided nearly 50 billion hours of unpaid care in 2024, worth over a trillion dollars if paid at market rates, exceeding annual Medicaid spending. In this episode, Rita Choula, Senior Director of Caregiving at AARP's Public Policy Institute, shares her personal caregiving journey and breaks down the findings of AARP's Valuing the Invaluable 2026 report. We dis...

Medication mistakes are the leading cause of hospitalization among older adults — and in rural communities, there's often no one nearby to catch them. In this episode, Ishanya sits down with Lisa Lavin, founder and CEO of Ōmcare, whose Ōmcare Home Health Hub combines autonomous medication dispensing with two-way video to connect seniors, family caregivers, and clinicians from wherever they are...

Nobody's saying the quiet part loud: AI won't fix healthcare if we just use it to do the same things faster. The real opportunity — and the real risk — is whether mission-driven organizations get ahead of it or get left behind.  In this episode, Ishanya is joined by Ramon Llamas, strategist, operator, and author of the  Flip a Switch  blog, alongside Zemplee CEO Aparna Pujar, for a wide-ra...

Boredom in dementia care isn't just uncomfortable — it shows up as agitation, withdrawal, and behaviors that too often lead to medication. Angela Fairhurst, founder of Geri-Gadgets, found a better way. After a winding caregiving journey with her own mother, she designed a line of sensory tools built specifically for aging hands, aging eyes, and aging dignity. In this episode, she and host Isha...

What does it take to lead change in an industry squeezed on every side — fewer caregivers, tighter budgets, and more complex residents? Jenna Kilawee knows firsthand. As a licensed assisted living director at Episcopal Homes in Minnesota and a PhD candidate, she's spent her career working from the ground up — from dietary aide to CNA to executive leadership. In this episode, she shares how Epi...

Finding home care for a loved one can feel overwhelming — and for too many families, it starts the same way: you make the calls, and nobody calls you back. In this episode, we sit down with Jon Levinson, co-founder of Sage, an AI-powered platform built specifically for home care agencies. Jon shares how his own family's struggle to find care for his father led him from building billion-dollar logi...

What does it actually take to use technology thoughtfully in elder care — without losing the human connection that makes it work? Justine Medina Tamillo, VP of Business Development & Community Engagement at the Center for Elders' Independence (CEI), brings nearly 40 years of healthcare experience to that question. In this episode, she and host Majd Alwan explore how CEI is using augmented...

When someone has dementia, even a familiar TV show can become a source of confusion, fear, and agitation. But what if video could do the opposite — calm, comfort, and even connect? In this episode, we sit down with Bill Uniowski, co-founder of Zinnia TV, a research-backed streaming platform designed specifically for people living with dementia. Bill shares how Zinnia's slow, intentional video...

The traditional nursing home is fading—not because older adults don’t need care, but because the cost is skyrocketing. With the average semi-private room now over $100,000 a year, families and states face a budget crisis. Monte Coffman, Executive Director of Windsor Place, shares how his “Nursing Home Without Walls” model delivers high-quality care at home for a fraction of the cost. Learn why agi...

Most technology is designed with a specific user in mind. But when it comes to older adults, innovators often forget to ask the most important question: what do they actually want? Today's guest has spent her career finding out. Dr. Julie Brown is a gerontologist, professor, and age tech researcher at Ohio University who studies how older adults really experience digital technology — from gami...

Millions of people are quietly doing it all — raising children, managing aging parents, and everything in between. Today's guest, Anna De La Cruz, knows that reality firsthand. A mom of three, former guardian to parents with dementia, and sister to a brother with Down syndrome, Ana has navigated nearly every dimension of caregiving at once. She's also the voice behind the Substack newslett...

Malnutrition is one of the most overlooked threats to healthy aging — and the way we feed older adults is overdue for a rethink. In this episode, award-winning chef and food innovation leader James Briscione joins host Ishanya Anthapur to explore how AI is transforming nutrition for older adults. From his early work developing IBM's Chef Watson to founding CulinAI, James shares how precision A...

When a loved one needs care in a nursing home, the pressure to make the right choice can feel overwhelming — and most of us don't know what we're actually looking for. In this episode, Melissa Brown, a former occupational therapist turned healthcare consultant for Gravity Consulting, pulls back the curtain on what really signals quality care. She also gets honest about what she thinks AI c...

Ted Teele is using community, activity, and fun to help older adults boost brain health. He’s the founder of Longevity Community Consultants and Brain Boosters of America, which aim to enhance the quality of life for seniors through innovative approaches to health and wellness. He delves into the importance of brain health, the role of technology in cognitive engagement, and the concept of scienti...

Dr. Stephen Golant, a pioneering environmental gerontologist, talks about the intersection of aging, technology, and caregiving. They discuss how where we live influences our ability to age successfully, the importance of digital solutions in supporting independence, and the challenges of resistance to change among older adults. Dr. Golant emphasizes the need for digital literacy and the role of f...

What does it really mean to plan for aging — and why does waiting too long cost so much more than just money? In this episode, we sit down with Robin McCoy, a Dallas-based senior home coach and realtor with over 18 years of experience helping older adults and their families navigate one of life's biggest transitions. From home modifications and ADUs to reverse mortgages and house hacking, Robi...

Most older adults resist care until a crisis forces the issue. Kristen Krause, Regional Director at Senior Helpers, explains how remote monitoring and technology create a comfortable bridge between full independence and needing in-home caregivers. Learn how data helps families have fact-based conversations about safety without the emotional tug-of-war, and discover affordable options that fill the...

Dr. Aaron Blight, caregiving researcher and founder of Caregiving Kinetics, shares how becoming a caregiver at 29 transformed his understanding of aging and disability. Learn about the cognitive shifts caregivers experience, his Caregiver Resilience and Mind Shift models, and why having end-of-life conversations early matters. Discover frameworks that help caregivers move beyond the endless task l...

How will AI and technology improve life for older adults in 2026? Host Ishanya Anthapur interviews Majd Alwan, an AI & digital health strategist in the aging services ecosystem and founder of ALWAN AIVantAge, about his predictions on how tech and AI will make a difference for older adults in 2026, wherever they are living.

Shanna Eckberg recognized a gap in care for older adults: It's hard for professional caregivers to get to them frequently. So she started a virtual home care agency, Syncara Care. In this episode, she shares how technology and community networks are solving rural healthcare challenges.

1 of every 4 Americans is a caregiver, and as the U.S. population ages, more Americans will need care. But we face challenges: costs, staffing shortages, and more. Technology can help solve these challenges--and that's why Zemplee is launching AI-Powered Caregiving, a podcast about how AI and technology are being used today to help older adults and their families. In our premiere episode, you&...