KOTA is a smart medical alert companion for older adults and people with disabilities who want to stay independent at home. It runs on a smartphone or tablet paired with a small wearable button that can be worn as a necklace, bracelet, or clip. KOTA keeps clients company during the day with conversation, reminders, and check-ins - and gets help fast when it's needed.

Those are great smart home assistants, but they weren't built for care. KOTA is designed for real conversations, scheduled check-ins, medical alerts, and family connection - not single commands.

Traditional medical alert devices often sit in a drawer waiting for an emergency - not charged, not worn, or not nearby when they're needed most. KOTA becomes part of the client's everyday life. They press the button to find their phone, chat with KOTA, get a weather report, or ask for a joke. That daily use keeps the button worn, so it's ready the moment it really matters.

KOTA also goes beyond emergency response with companionship, proactive check-ins, and family visibility that no call-center-only service offers.

KOTA greets the client in the morning, delivers reminders for medications and appointments, chats when the client wants company, answers questions about the weather, sports, or news, tells jokes, shares Bible verses or inspirational quotes if the client enjoys them, and checks in on a schedule the family or agency sets.

All of them:
- Recurring (daily wake-up, medications at 8 AM and 6 PM, check-ins every two hours)
- One-off scheduled ("remind me to call Dr. Martin on May 7th at 10 AM")
- Short timers ("remind me in five minutes, kettle is on")
- In-the-moment ("my caregiver made dinner, remind me to eat at six")

KOTA runs scheduled check-ins at a frequency the family or agency configures (minimum once an hour). If the client doesn't respond to a check-in, KOTA tries once more gently. If there's still no response, KOTA starts the escalation chain - family first, then agency, then the optional 24/7 call center.

KOTA is currently available in English. Multi-language support is in development.

KOTA works well for older adults and people with disabilities who are living independently and want daily connection plus peace of mind. It's been used successfully by clients with memory and cognitive challenges - KOTA is designed to be patient, non-correcting, and comfortable with repetition.

Clients with severe speech limitations may find conversation difficult. Clients who don't have a smartphone or tablet in the home, and no family member to help configure one, would need that piece in place first. For most other clients - including those with dementia or mild cognitive impairment - KOTA adapts well.

KOTA has real conversations. Clients can talk about their day, their family, their hobbies, the weather outside their window. KOTA listens, remembers within the conversation, and engages genuinely. Gentle humor is welcome, and KOTA is comfortable with quiet moments too. The voice is warm and easy to understand - think of a kind daughter or a caring nurse.

No - KOTA is an animated penguin companion powered by AI. KOTA will answer honestly if a client sincerely asks whether they're talking to a real person. The friendly penguin character and the app itself make it clear that KOTA is a companion, not a human.

Penguins are loyal and social. They stick together in their colony and look out for each other. That's what KOTA tries to do for clients. Plus, a friendly penguin is a lot warmer than a generic AI assistant.

Yes. KOTA is specifically designed with patience for clients who repeat stories, forget recent conversations, or need gentle presence rather than quick task completion. KOTA does not quiz or correct clients on memory, and is comfortable answering the same question multiple times.

No. KOTA treats clients as adults with full authority over their own lives. Personal choices, opinions, stories, and relationships stay between the client and KOTA. KOTA is a companion, not a surveillance device.

KOTA reports situations where safety or wellbeing is at stake: safety emergencies, well-being concerns (sickness, sadness, anything related to hopelessness or self-harm), environmental problems (no heat, no food, caregiver no-show), missed medications, and questions indicating prescription drug misuse or other safety risks.

KOTA keeps private: day-to-day conversation, personal relationships, opinions, moderate lifestyle choices, and stories shared in confidence. Families see wellness summaries, not conversation logs.

Yes - KOTA can tell jokes, share inspirational quotes and Bible verses, answer weather and sports questions, and connect to music. These small daily pleasures are part of what keeps clients engaged with KOTA every day.

KOTA speaks first. The participant doesn't dial, doesn't wait, doesn't navigate. They press the button or tap the penguin, and KOTA starts the conversation. It's patient, never frustrated, and never in a hurry.  

A small, wearable Bluetooth button the client presses to reach KOTA. It can be worn as a necklace, a bracelet, or clipped to clothing. The button is designed to be worn every day - not just waiting for an emergency.

Three ways:
1. Press the button (primary) - wakes KOTA instantly
2. Tap the penguin in the app (secondary)
3. Wake word (currently in beta - reliability is still being refined)

The button is the main way in. It's the most reliable and the most accessible - especially for clients who find unlocking a phone and opening an app difficult.

The button is designed for long life - approximately six months between charges, with replacement guidance built into the app.

KOTA responds right away - "Hi, what's on your mind?" or something similarly gentle. The client can say they need help, ask for something practical like finding their phone, chat for a while, or just say "never mind" if they pressed by accident. KOTA adapts to whatever the client actually needs.

KOTA starts the escalation chain, always beginning with the primary family contact. If your agency has a 24/7 line, the escalation can reach your team during operating hours. If not, the optional KOTA emergency call center follows the emergency instructions you've set. Throughout the escalation, KOTA stays with the client - offering reassurance and calm presence until help arrives.

No problem. KOTA asks gently what the client needs, and if they say they're fine or meant to press something else, KOTA confirms warmly and steps back. Accidental presses are fine - KOTA expects them, because the button is meant to be used often.

The KOTA button is generally considered weatherproof rather than fully waterproof. It features a rugged, protective housing designed to resist water, but it is not intended for long-term submersion. 

For Ankota customers, enable KOTA on the client and choose the primary family contact - that's it. For non-Ankota agencies, we collect basic client and contact details through a short form.

The client's primary contact (usually an adult child or spouse) configures KOTA through the KOTA Family app. Our team walks them through it. Your agency doesn't need to be the tech support line.

Once your agency is configured (a short meeting and account setup), individual clients are onboarded in under a day. The family configures the app, the button ships directly, and KOTA is live as soon as the button pairs.

KOTA can replace those services with something more modern, or clients can use both during a transition. Most of our clients end up choosing KOTA because a companion that's worn and used every day is a better safety net than a button that sits in a drawer.

Yes. We're rolling out agency onboarding in waves, and each wave includes a VIP launch kit - a Bluetooth button, an instruction card, and a short illustrated book called KOTA the Companion that explains what it's all about. You try it yourself, show it to a few clients, and give us feedback. Let us know you're interested and we'll add you to the next available cohort.

Three ways:
1. Set up a meeting: https://meetings.hubspot.com/kirstin-speaks
2. Email us at hello@kota.care
3. Visit www.kota.care

We'll gather a small number of details about your agency, configure your account, and help you onboard your first clients.

KOTA gives your clients' loved ones someone to talk to when your caregivers aren't there - and a way to ask for help if they need it. It's a modern medical alert companion that's most readily available through agencies like yours, giving you a meaningful service to offer beyond traditional hands-on care.

Yes - we encourage it. The future of home care is a combination of people and technology, and agencies need to charge for tech solutions. Retail pricing is $59/month, agency wholesale is $29/month - a $30/client/month margin. An agency with 50 KOTA clients generates $1,500/month in recurring tech margin on top of their care revenue.

- Retail (what your client pays): $59/month, or the annual equivalent with two months free
- Agency wholesale: $29/month per client
- Optional emergency call center for agencies that don't have their own 24/7 line: $16/client/month (no wholesale discount). Total for that tier: $45/month wholesale, $75/month retail.

Agencies are asked to honor the applicable retail price - $59 standard, $75 with the call center included - to protect the program for everyone. An exception: agencies who want to provide KOTA as a complimentary benefit to their clients (no charge) are welcome to do so. What we ask is that agencies not become a retail channel that undercuts the standard price.

Yes. KOTA can display your agency's name, branding, and contact information so clients and families know exactly who is supporting them.

KOTA shares well-being concerns with families - including signs of sickness, sadness, hopelessness, or anything related to self-harm - while respecting the client's privacy on personal matters. KOTA also flags environmental problems like no heat, no food, or a missed caregiver visit. Families and agencies stay informed about things that matter without getting a flood of conversation logs.

No - KOTA is standalone. We also offer an integration that embeds KOTA as a screen in your existing agency management software, if you use one.

KOTA is designed to reduce, not add, liability exposure. Key protections built in:
- Family-first escalation: the client's primary contact is always notified before your agency, so you're never the single point of failure
- Liability waiver signed by the primary family member before KOTA is activated
- Clear positioning: KOTA is not a substitute for hands-on care or 911 - it's an extra layer of connection, and that's made clear to clients and families at signup
- Optional 24/7 emergency call center if your agency doesn't operate around the clock, so alerts never fall into a gap

No. All escalations are family-first - the client's primary contact is notified before the agency. If your agency has a 24/7 line, escalations reach you during your operating hours. If you don't, the optional KOTA emergency call center follows the emergency instructions you've set up. You're never the last resort.

Yes. Some of the base language is required, but beyond that you can customize to fit your state and your agency's standards.

KOTA is HIPAA compliant with role-based access, least-privilege permissions, and audit logging. But privacy at KOTA goes beyond compliance - we treat clients as adults with full authority over their personal lives. Data sharing with families is explicit and permissioned. Families see wellness summaries, not casual conversations.

Wellness summaries through the KOTA Family app: activity, medication adherence, check-in completion, well-being concerns, and red alerts. Families do not see conversation logs or the client's day-to-day chats with KOTA.

KOTA is a medical alert companion, not a regulated medical device. It does not diagnose, treat, or replace clinical care. It's a connection and communication tool designed to complement the care your agency provides.

No. KOTA runs on the client's iPhone, Android smartphone, or tablet. The wearable button connects via Bluetooth and ships directly to the client. There's nothing to install on walls, countertops, or phone lines.

KOTA is designed to minimize the operational lift on your agency, but there are a few things you help with - and because your caregivers are already in the home, you're in the best position to solve them:

- Making sure the client is wearing the button. A button in a drawer can't call for help. Caregivers can gently remind clients to wear the necklace, bracelet, or clip during their regular visits.
- Battery replacement. The BLE button lasts a minimum of six months and typically a year or longer. The app surfaces a low-battery warning roughly a month in advance, and a fresh coin cell battery is an easy swap. Your caregivers are often the most practical people to handle this during a visit.
- Helping clients get the app set up on their phone or tablet. Most initial setup is done by the primary family contact, but caregivers sometimes help when the family lives far away or the client needs hands-on guidance.
- Configuring your escalation preferences. Decide once whether escalations during off-hours go to your own 24/7 line or to the optional KOTA emergency call center. Review periodically as your staffing changes.
- Communicating the program to clients and families. KOTA is most effective when it's presented as a valued part of the care plan, not as a gadget that showed up.

We call this the "last mile" - the small operational things that turn KOTA from a good product into a reliable safety net. Your agency is uniquely positioned to do it well because your caregivers are already there.