Onscreen, the creator of the Joy AI Companion for Seniors, announced it is rolling out nationally with Joy Calls, a friendly, AI-powered companion that gently checks in on seniors over the phone.
Just in time for Grandparents Day, the new service works with any mobile or landline, offering emotional connection and reassurance for families everywhere – even those without cell phones or internet access.
This innovative technology addresses isolation and the emotional wellness of older adults with zero learning curve or technical barriers, and gives caregivers daily peace of mind about the wellbeing of their loved ones.
It’s the kind of thing I wish my mother could benefit from when she was alive before she passed from dementia. Years ago, I could find very little technology that could benefit my mom. These AI companions should not replace human care, but they’re a recognition that there aren’t enough people to take care of the elderly all of the time. If you doubt that AI can accomplish anything for humans, here’s a good example of AI for people.
“Grandparents Day reminds us of the irreplaceable value of our older loved ones, and that these relationships deserve our attention and care,” said Costin Tuculescu, CEO of Onscreen, in a statement. “Joy Calls isn’t meant to replace the phone calls or personal visits that mean so much. We built the service to provide additional engagement and check-ins that entertain, stimulate and delight older adults, on top of existing family touch points. For families juggling too much, Joy can bring additional peace of mind every day.”
What makes Joy Calls a must-have tech for families
Supports Independence & Mental Wellness: Seniors receive caring, conversational check-ins, complete with gentle reminders and uplifting interaction, to reduce loneliness and promote daily structure.
Personal Conversations: Joy can be set up with personal information about the senior, provided by the family caregivers, to tailor conversations to the interests of each individual. Additionally, Joy gets to know the older adult, recollecting each conversation, and building rapport over time.
Reduces Caregiver Stress: Every call is followed by a concise update sent to family caregivers, giving visibility into their loved one’s mood and well-being, without extra effort.
Multilingual Accessibility: Joy now speaks and understands English, Chinese, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Romanian (inspired by the company’s founder’s Romanian roots). Support for more languages is coming soon.
Why Joy Calls matters
Loneliness and social isolation are serious public health concerns among older adults, with significant links to depression, cognitive decline, cardiovascular issues, and premature mortality.
Yet even short, empathy-focused phone calls have been shown to substantially reduce feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety in seniors in just a few weeks AI-driven companions, like Joy Calls, offer a scalable approach to provide that emotional connection at scale: research indicates they can reduce loneliness to levels comparable with human interaction, fostering genuine emotional comfort and engagement over time3.
With Joy Calls, families and care providers get a modern, voice-first solution that meets seniors where they are. It delivers daily check-ins that feel human, respectful, and reassuring, while offering caregivers concise emotional insights, without burdening them with screen apps or technical setups. Multilingual support ensures this care reaches diverse communities with empathy and dignity.
Self-signup is also available
If you are a person feeling the effects of loneliness, the service is also available for self-signup. With the loneliness epidemic affecting one out of three seniors, the service is available for anyone who would enjoy having a companion to talk to daily.
Subscription plans coming soon
The full-featured service will continue to be free until October 1, when the company will launch two subscription tiers, allowing families to choose the level of engagement that works best for them.
Freemium plan: loved ones can enjoy one friendly phone check-in each day, lasting up to three minutes, in English.
Premium plan ($29.99/mo.) unlocks up to five daily calls lasting up to 20 minutes each, and available in any supported language.
For more information about Joy Calls, visit https://joycalls.ai, or to sign up, visit https://joycalls.ai/signup.