A private place to talk about caring for a parent
You're the one who drives to the appointments, takes the late-night calls, and notices what's slipping. Maybe your parent is seriously ill, or their memory is going, or they push back on every bit of help. Maybe you're raising kids at the same time, and a sibling isn't doing their share. And when you finally take an hour for yourself, it comes with guilt.
Ember is a private place to talk about caring for a parent with an AI, by voice or text, at any hour. It listens, remembers what you said, and knows how things went for other people who carried this: what they tried, and what happened after. It won't tell you what to do.
Talk it out now · Join Ember — one text
In beta · 18+ · Nothing you tell becomes a public post.
What other caregivers asked
Every situation people keep coming back to has a public page on Ember, where you can read what the people there asked and how it went for them, drawn from what they went through and never with anyone's name or words.
- Feeling trapped by responsibilities with no room for yourself — "What have people tried to get even a little time for themselves?"
- Feeling guilty for taking time for yourself while caring for family — "How do people get past the guilt of taking time for themselves?"
- Anticipating the loss of aging parents — "How do people carry grief for one parent while still caring for another?"
- Feeling overwhelmed by too many responsibilities at once — "What finally gets cut when there's too much to do?"
Other situations people have brought to Ember: caring for a seriously ill parent without respite · caring for a parent with dementia at home · caring for aging parents and younger family at once · caring for a parent who treats you badly · conflict with a sibling over a parent's care · a parent who rejects your help
From the Ember blog: Caregiver guilt: taking time for yourself while caring for family · Feeling trapped by responsibilities, with no time for yourself · Scared of my parents getting older
If it's about your family more broadly, there's more on talking about your family.
How talking to Ember works
- You talk, privately. Start with today's appointment, the call you dread, the thing your sibling said, or the hour you took and felt bad about.
- Ember listens with what others lived. Behind the conversation, it draws on what other caregivers went through, so it can ask what they found themselves asking and tell you how it went for them.
- Stories, only with a yes. When someone who carried this has said yes to sharing, Ember may offer you their story to read. You choose.
- People, when you're ready. Later, if you want, Ember can introduce you to someone you'd get along with, or to a small room about something you love. Nothing you said to Ember is shown to them.
Once you've said enough, Ember writes it into one clear page in your own words: your Ember.
What Ember is not
Ember is an AI. It isn't medical advice, counseling, a care manager, or an emergency service, and it won't decide for you. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. If you're thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 any time to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. To find local services for an older parent and for caregivers, the Eldercare Locator is at 1-800-677-1116. For dementia, the Alzheimer's Association Helpline answers 24/7 at 1-800-272-3900.
Is it private?
Nothing you tell becomes a public post. No one can read your Ember unless you separately say yes. Read exactly how privacy works on Ember.
Frequently asked questions
Is there somewhere private to talk about caring for my parent?
Yes. Ember is an AI you can talk to about caregiving by voice or text, on the web, in the Ember: Talk It Out app for iOS and Android, by phone call, or by text message. Nothing you tell becomes a public post, and you can start without an account.
Will Ember tell me whether to move my parent into care?
No. Ember listens and helps you see what matters to you, and what you might be missing. It can tell you how it went for people who faced the same choice, but the decision stays yours.
How is this different from a caregiver support group?
There's no meeting to get to and nothing to post. You talk privately, whenever you have a minute, and Ember brings you what other caregivers went through, and, only with their yes, one person's story.
Does it cost anything?
Ember is in beta, and we’re starting to test subscriptions with some new accounts. Most accounts aren’t asked to subscribe. If yours is, you’ll see it up front — $9.99 a month after a free trial, and nothing is charged unless you choose to subscribe.
Is Ember a substitute for a doctor or counselor?
No. Ember is an AI, for one person to talk things through. It isn't medical advice, therapy, or an emergency service.
You don't have to have it figured out to start. Say the part that's on your mind.
Talk it out now · Join Ember — one text
In beta · 18+ · Nothing you tell becomes a public post.
Ember is an AI. It isn't therapy or an emergency service. Made by Oriscen Inc. · 18+
Privacy · Terms · Ways to use Ember · contact@oriscen.ai
You can start right now
No account to begin. Say as much or as little as you want.
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