Greater Autonomy in Old Age: How AI Companions Can Ease the Burden on Caregivers and Support Older Adults

July 2, 2026

How can artificial intelligence support older adults in long-term care facilities without replacing human connection and personal care? The startup SteffiCare is addressing this question. The company is developing an AI-powered companion that supports seniors in their daily lives through natural language interaction, cognitive stimulation, and easy access to information and media.
In this interview, Dr. Verena Mann, a physician and co-founder of SteffiCare, explains how the product was developed in collaboration with older adults, how artificial intelligence can ease the burden on caregivers, and why technologies in elder care must always be geared toward self-determination, social connection, and dignity.

Verena Mann: I’d be happy to. My name is Verena Mann. I’m a doctor and co-founder of SteffiCare. The idea for SteffiCare arose against the backdrop of demographic change. The number of older people will rise significantly in the coming years, putting our care system under increasing pressure. So we asked ourselves: How can we help relieve the burden on caregivers while also providing better support for older adults? That’s how the idea for SteffiCare came about.

Verena Mann: My co-founder, Erik, previously worked in a nursing home. Given his background in artificial intelligence and IT, he noticed that older adults have so far been able to benefit only to a limited extent from the digital possibilities that are already available today. But it is precisely for this demographic that technology can create real added value and thereby significantly improve quality of life. This led to the question: How can digital tools be integrated into care facilities in a meaningful and accessible way? With SteffiCare, we’ve developed a solution that pursues exactly this goal.

Verena Mann: The great thing is that seniors can communicate naturally with our AI-based companion. This companion is available around the clock and adapts individually to each user’s specific needs and communication styles. This means that, on an emotional level, SteffiCare offers opportunities for conversation and companionship in everyday life.
Cognitively, the system supports mental stimulation. When older adults are alone for long periods of time or only have occasional conversation partners, this can impair their mental fitness. That’s why SteffiCare incorporates stimulating elements such as quizzes or small exercises that encourage users to think and engage their minds.
The system also promotes greater independence in practical everyday life. It is operated entirely via voice commands and is designed to be accessible. Especially in long-term care facilities, older adults often rely on assistance with everyday tasks—such as turning on the radio or retrieving information. With SteffiCare, they can perform many of these activities independently via voice commands and easily access information, media content, and other features.

Verena Mann: That was a key consideration for us from the very beginning. That’s why we developed SteffiCare in collaboration with older adults. The product was continuously adapted and refined based on their feedback to ensure high acceptance and genuine value. Our goal wasn’t simply to provide yet another app or technical device. We wanted to create a companion that older adults would enjoy interacting with and communicating through.
To some extent, this can be compared to the relationship with a pet. Users should be able to form a bond with this companion. However, this is only possible if the product is consistently conceived and developed from the perspective of older adults.

Verena Mann: All of our developments are specifically tailored to the needs of older adults. It wouldn’t be very helpful if a voice assistant responded too quickly, phrased answers in overly complex terms, or failed to address users’ individual needs. That’s why we’ve deliberately designed the entire user experience to be simple. SteffiCare is voice-activated—no experience with tablets, smartphones, or other digital devices is required. Users can simply speak, while the assistant processes the information and provides appropriate support.
Another important aspect is data protection. For older adults and their loved ones, security also means that personal data is protected. That’s why data protection has been a central component of our product development from the very beginning.

Verena Mann: This is a key issue for us. Our mission is not to replace human care—on the contrary: we want to enable and strengthen it. In day-to-day care, there are numerous time-consuming tasks that are not directly related to care or interpersonal support. This is exactly where AI can help by streamlining processes or taking over certain tasks. This gives caregivers more time for what really matters: personal conversations, attention, listening, and human connection. SteffiCare is not meant to replace care, but to meaningfully complement and support it.

Verena Mann: We’ve received a great deal of valuable feedback so far, which has been directly incorporated into product development. In fact, a large part of the current product is based on feedback from various user groups. One example concerns the design. Initially, we had considered giving the companion a teddy bear-like shape because we assumed this would be particularly familiar and reassuring. The seniors, however, saw it differently. This ultimately led to the current, more robot-like design.
We also discussed at length why SteffiCare isn’t simply offered as an app. The feedback here was clear: Users didn’t want to talk to an app, but rather to a physical object that is present for them and with which they can interact.
The feedback from nursing practice was also particularly interesting. One caregiver told us that using the system could save up to 25 minutes a day. Given the high workload in care facilities, that’s a significant time savings.
Overall, we’re seeing a very positive response—especially regarding its use and acceptance among older adults.

Verena Mann: For us, social connection is a central part of the concept. That’s why SteffiCare was developed not only for use in care facilities but also to connect residents with their loved ones. This feature, too, was inspired by feedback from our users. We quickly realized that families must be an important part of the solution if we want to sustainably improve the quality of life for older adults. That’s why our offering also includes a family app that facilitates contact between family members and older adults.
We see great potential for AI-based companions like SteffiCare. Our society is aging, and neither families nor caregivers can be present around the clock—even if they’d like to be. Technologies like SteffiCare can provide additional support here, improve quality of life, and connect people even when they live far apart.
Our goal is to enable people to age better—with more autonomy, more social connection, and more dignity.

Thank you very much for the interview, Dr. Mann!

Demographic change presents new challenges for society and the healthcare system. Innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence can help reduce the workload on caregivers, promote independence among older adults, and improve their quality of life in the long term. For promising ideas to become practical solutions, close collaboration between academia, industry, the care sector, and the healthcare system is essential. The Health Innovation Network of Bayern Innovativ GmbH supports this exchange and facilitates the development of new innovations in health and care. Together, we are creating solutions that will strengthen the health and care systems of the future.