Set up in about five minutes. Cancel any time — nothing arrives in the post.
See plansHow it works
Nothing to install, nothing to charge, nothing for your parent to learn. Below is the whole thing — the voice that calls, a real recording, the signal we send you, and the dashboard your family shares.
Step 01 · Set it up
Choose their companion
Warm and unhurried · American · Midwest
A soft, steady voice that leaves plenty of room to answer.
Live voice samples are played during setup.
Speaks slowly, with longer pauses between questions.
Tuesday · 9:00 AM · with Sarah
A real recording — the transcript below follows along as it plays. Voice, tone and pace above change the written example, not this clip.
Sarah
Hi Connie, it's Sarah from Porchlight. Just checking in today to see how everything is going.
Connie
Oh, hello Sarah. I'm doing alright, just having my morning tea.
Sarah
That sounds nice. Did you sleep okay last night?
Connie
Not too bad. I was up once, but I got back to sleep.
Sarah
I'm glad to hear it. Anything on your mind today, or plans with Margaret?
Connie
Yes, she's coming by at eleven. We're going to sit on the porch.
Sarah
That sounds lovely. I'll check in with you again tomorrow, Connie. Have a good day.
Speaks slowly, with longer pauses between questions.
Their number
Landline, cordless, flip phone, or mobile.
Their time
The same minute every day, so it becomes routine.
Their world
The dog, the church group, the knee that's been playing up.
Step 02 · The call arrives
“Mom gets her call at 9:00 every morning, and by 9:20 I have a short summary on my phone. I stopped starting my day with that knot in my stomach.”
Dana WhitfieldDaughter · Asheville, NCStep 03 · We listen
Energy
How much lift is in the voice, and how long the answers run.
Mood
Warmth, humour, and whether the day sounds like something to look forward to.
Clarity
Word-finding, repeated questions, and how easily the thread is kept.
Breathing
Pauses mid-sentence, effort between words, and audible shortness of breath.
1–2 · All seems well
No action needed. A peaceful day.
3 · Worth checking in
A gentle call or text to your parent is sensible.
4–5 · Please check today
A person should follow up soon. In an emergency, call 911.
The score is a prompt for a human being, never a medical judgement. Porchlight does not diagnose, does not give medical advice, and is not an emergency service.
Step 04 · Your family is told
Tuesday
9:41
Porchlight
nowConnie's check-in is done
Connie sounded bright and slept well.
Signal 2/5 · All seems well — no action needed
Swipe up to read the full summary
Thursday · 9:21 AMConnie · Daily check-in
Call lasted 6 min 12 sec
Worth checking in
Slower answers, asked who was calling twice, and a poor night's sleep.
What we heard
Suggested next step
A quick call this evening is probably enough.
Saturday · 9:15 AMPlease check on Connie today
Connie seemed short of breath and unusually quiet.
Shorter answers, more pauses, and walking to the kitchen 'wore her out.'
What we heard
A signal to check in — not a medical diagnosis.
Everyone, or just you
Choose who hears about routine days and who gets alerts.
Text or email
Per person. Nobody has to install anything.
Nothing dramatised
We describe what was said. You decide what it means.
“The daily summary is short and human — no jargon, no scary scores. Just how the conversation went and whether anything is worth a follow-up.”
Greg HalloranSon · Portland, MEStep 05 · You act together
All seems well
Today · 9:14 AM · 3:08
Had her tea outside and mentioned the neighbour's dog in the tomatoes again. Ray came on after her — steady and dry as ever. Said the coffee was 'strong enough to stand a spoon in'.
What we'd do next
Family Reminders
Add appointments, medications, and everyday notes from the family dashboard. Porchlight brings them naturally into the daily call — no app, no alarm, no confusion.
Medications
Gentle prompts that sound like a friendly nudge, not an alarm.
Appointments
A heads-up the day before the doctor, the visit, or the ride.
Birthdays
Help important family dates feel remembered and celebrated.
Everyday notes
A personal message or household reminder delivered in a warm voice.
During the call
Porchlight
Before we finish, Sarah asked me to remind you about your appointment at two this afternoon.
Connie
Oh, thank you. I had nearly forgotten.
Porchlight
You're welcome. Would you like me to mention it again tomorrow morning?
Take it to the doctor
Appointments are short and memory is generous. Porchlight turns your check-in history into a plain, printable summary: how energy, mood, clarity, and breathing have moved, the days worth discussing, and blank lines for the doctor's notes.
Daily check-in summary
Connie & Ray Whitfield · Jul 1 – Jul 29, 2026
29
Calls placed
27
Answered
4
Worth noting
Four-week trend
Days worth discussing
Notes for the visit
Porchlight is not a medical device and does not diagnose. This summary describes what was heard on daily calls.
Prints cleanly in black and white, or saves as a PDF.
Two people, one call
Porchlight rings once, talks with each of them, and reads them separately — so Mom can sound bright on a day Dad sounds short of breath. The household score always reflects whichever of them we'd check on first.
See the second-person priceConnie
Signal 1/5Bright, slept well, expecting a visit at eleven.
Ray
Signal 3/5A little short of breath on the stairs this morning.
One call. One summary. Two people looked after.
“I travel for work and time zones made checking in hard. Now the call happens whether I'm awake or not, and the summary is waiting for me.”
Arjun MehtaSon · Edison, NJPricing
No contracts, no equipment, cancel any time.
A daily call and a simple summary, for one family member.
$39/mo
Billed monthly — $39 a month
Best for one person keeping an eye out.
Choose Check-InEverything in Check-In, shared across the whole family.
$69/mo
Billed monthly — $69 a month
Best when siblings want to see the same thing.
SelectedEverything in Family Circle, plus a person you can call about it.
$99/mo
Billed monthly — $99 a month
Best when you're watching one specific concern.
Choose Peace of Mind+Add-ons
Add them now or later — nothing here changes the daily call itself.
$49 one-time
Porchlight professionals place the first call to walk your loved one through what to expect, and confirm everything is working as intended.
6- or 12-month codes
Pre-paid gift codes for Mother's Day, Father's Day, and other holidays and occasions. No recurring or subscription management needed.
1 free month for both
Refer another family and you both get a free month. Nothing to add here — the credit applies automatically once they start.
Your selection
Recurring: $69 a month
You won't be charged until setup is finished.
Prices are per senior receiving calls, in US dollars. Caring for two parents in the same home? One plan covers the household.
Before you decide
Yes — and we insist on it. Porchlight introduces itself as an automated check-in service at the start of every call. We never pretend to be a human or a family member.
We call once more a short while later. If that call also goes unanswered, you receive a missed-check-in alert. We tell you what we observed and nothing more — the decision about what to do is yours.
Calls are transcribed so we can create your summary, and recordings are kept for a limited period before deletion. Your parent is told at the start of the call, and either of you can ask us to delete the history at any time.
Only the family contacts you invite. We don't sell data, and we don't share summaries with insurers, advertisers, or anyone else.
Yes. Landline, cordless, flip phone, or smartphone — anything that rings.
Yes. Every plan is month to month with no contract, so you can try it for a month and cancel any time from your dashboard.
