What the knowledge base is

The knowledge base is a private collection of everything KindredMind knows about your loved one. It is built from the information you provide during onboarding — and kept alive through ongoing notes, file uploads, and routine updates.

Think of it as a living document written for one purpose: helping KindredMind speak to them as someone who truly knows them. Not a stranger making small talk — someone who remembers their favourite memories, knows which topics bring them joy, understands what worries them, and can answer their recurring questions without missing a beat.

The quality of every single conversation your loved one has with KindredMind is directly tied to how rich and current your knowledge base is. A sparse knowledge base produces generic responses. A detailed one produces conversations that feel genuinely personal.

How KindredMind uses it during calls

Every time your loved one calls, KindredMind draws on the knowledge base to shape every part of the conversation.

Opening the call naturally

If it is Tuesday morning and they always have their hair done on Tuesday afternoons, KindredMind might mention that. If there is a family visit coming up soon, it can bring it up with genuine excitement. Context makes the greeting feel real, not scripted.

Answering recurring questions confidently

"Where are you?" "Are you coming to see me?" "What day is it?" These questions come up on every call for most people with dementia. KindredMind knows exactly how you would answer them — because you told it — and delivers those answers in your voice, calmly, consistently, without frustration.

Interpreting unexpected language

People with dementia sometimes use unexpected words or phrases. KindredMind interprets these charitably and responds to the meaning, never drawing attention to the moment. Word substitutions observed during a call are logged in your call summary, building a useful picture of communication patterns over time.

Steering toward what comforts them

If they respond well to stories about their grandchildren, KindredMind can gently move there. If certain topics upset them, KindredMind is trained to navigate away with grace. The knowledge base tells it what to reach for and what to leave alone.

Knowing who everyone is

When they mention a name — a grandchild, a sibling, a friend from years ago — KindredMind can respond with genuine warmth and familiarity because it knows who that person is and what they mean to them.

Grounding them in the present

Today's context — what day it is, what is happening this week, what the weather is like — is layered into the conversation naturally. This gentle orientation is one of the most valuable things a familiar voice can do for someone with dementia.

The nine intake sections — explained

Your knowledge base is built from nine sections you complete during onboarding. Each section targets a specific layer of who your loved one is.

A

Section A: Who They Are

The foundation. Their name, age, where they live, their personality, their emotional nature, the things that make them laugh, and the things that upset them. This is KindredMind's first portrait of them — the more vivid you make it, the more KindredMind can adapt its tone and approach to who they actually are as a person.

A note on pronouns: during onboarding you will be asked how you refer to your loved one — she/her, he/him, or they/them. This selection flows through the entire conversation model. Make sure it reflects how they think of themselves and how you speak to them.
B

Section B: Their Family

Everyone who matters to them — children, grandchildren, siblings, close friends, even pets that are part of their world. For each person, include the relationship, their name as your loved one knows it, and any key details they might bring up or ask about. This is KindredMind's social map of their life.
C

Section C: Their Story

The richest section of all. Their life history: where they grew up, where they have lived, how they met their partner, their career, their proudest moments, their happiest periods, the stories they love to tell. This is what transforms a generic response into a conversation that feels personal and real.
D

Section D: Speaking As You

KindredMind speaks in your voice — but it needs to understand how you actually talk. Do you say "Mum" or "Mom"? Do you use a nickname? Are you warm and chatty, or quieter and calmer? Do you say "I love you" often, or show love differently? This section makes KindredMind's language sound unmistakably like you.
E

Section E: Their Day

Their daily rhythm — when they wake, when they have meals, their regular activities, their favourite parts of the day, when they are usually at their best and when they are more tired or confused. Grounding the conversation in the real structure of their day makes every interaction feel current and connected.
F

Section F: Gentle Awareness

Health context KindredMind needs to be aware of, without becoming clinical about it. How far along is their dementia? Do they have physical limitations? Are there sensitivities to be aware of? This is not about medical advice — it is about helping KindredMind respond appropriately when health topics come up naturally in conversation.
G

Section G: Their World Right Now

What is happening in their life this week and this month. A recent family event, a health update, news about a grandchild, a change in their routine. This section is designed to be updated regularly — it is what makes their conversations feel current rather than like a conversation from six months ago.
H

Section H: Their Questions & Statements

The questions and statements that come up on every call, without fail. For each one, you provide the response you want KindredMind to give — in your voice, in your words. This is one of the most important sections in the entire knowledge base.
I

Section I: Anything Else

Everything that does not fit neatly into the other sections. Old stories, inside jokes, meaningful phrases they use, things you have noticed recently, handwritten notes, uploaded documents. This section has no rules — if you think KindredMind should know it, put it here.

What makes a good entry

The most common mistake is writing too little. KindredMind cannot fabricate warmth or personal detail — it can only reflect what you have given it. The second most common mistake is writing in a clinical or formal way. Write the way you would actually talk about your loved one to someone who cares.

Be specific, not general

General information gives KindredMind nothing to work with. Specific details give it everything. "They love music" is thin. "They could play Chopin by heart at 14 and still hum the Moonlight Sonata when they are happy" is something KindredMind can actually use.

Write from love, not from a chart

You are not filling in a medical form. You are describing a person you love. Let that show. The more warmth in your writing, the more warmth KindredMind draws on when it speaks. Write like you are telling their story to someone who is about to meet them for the first time.

Include their exact words and phrases

If they have a phrase they always say, write it down. If there is a story they always tell the same way, capture it. If they have a pet name for you, note it. These little linguistic fingerprints make KindredMind feel genuinely familiar — not generic.

Note what upsets them, not just what they love

KindredMind needs to know what to avoid as much as what to lean into. Difficult topics, painful memories, things that make them anxious or agitated — write these down so KindredMind can steer away with care.

See the difference in practice

Too thin

"They like talking about family and don't like upsetting topics."

Rich and useful

"They light up whenever we talk about their granddaughter Sophie — they call her 'my little sunshine.' They love hearing what Sophie has been up to at school. They get anxious if we talk about money or hospital visits, so I redirect toward Sophie or the garden whenever those come up."

Adding notes and files

Beyond the intake form, you can add to your knowledge base at any time from the dashboard.

Quick notes

The fastest way to add something new. Type anything into the note field in your Knowledge Base and it is automatically processed and added to what KindredMind knows.

Good for: something that happened this week, an update on a family member, a new detail you remembered, something from a recent call that surprised you.

File uploads

Upload text files from your computer — the contents are processed by KindredMind and added to the knowledge base automatically.

Good for: a written memoir or life history document, notes from a social worker or care coordinator, a list of favourite stories and memories, a longer biography.

A useful habit: After you visit your loved one, spend five minutes writing a quick note in your knowledge base. What did they talk about? Were they in good spirits? Did they bring up someone new? These small updates, added over time, give KindredMind a genuinely current picture of their world.

Recurring questions — the most important section

People with dementia often ask the same questions on every call. Sometimes on every other call. Sometimes multiple times within the same call. These questions are not random — they are expressions of underlying worry, love, or need for orientation. And they deserve a consistent, loving answer every single time.

Section H of your intake form is where you write out these questions and the answers you want KindredMind to give. Written in your voice, in your words, delivered the way you would actually say them.

Common recurring questions and how to approach them — written here as examples. Write yours in your own voice.

"Are you coming to see me?"

Yes, absolutely, I am coming very soon — I am already looking forward to it so much. I am thinking of you every single day and I cannot wait.

"Where are you right now?"

I am at home, close by. I am thinking of you and I just wanted to hear your voice.

"What day is it today?"

It is [day] today. I was just sitting here thinking about you and had to call.

"Is everything okay? Has something happened?"

Everything is absolutely fine, I promise. Nothing has happened. I just called because I miss you and wanted to chat. You do not need to worry about a thing.

Write the answers as you would say them out loud. Not as a formal answer — as the thing you would actually say on the phone. KindredMind will deliver them in your voice, so the more natural and warm your language, the better they will land.

Keeping it up to date

A knowledge base that was perfect in January can feel stale by March. Life changes — and so should your knowledge base.

Their World Right Now (Section G) — update weekly

This is the section most likely to become outdated. Update it when something happens: a family visit, news about a grandchild, a health update, a seasonal change in their routine. The "This Week" shortcut on your dashboard home page lets you update this in seconds without opening the full form.

Family members — update as things change

When a grandchild is born, when someone gets married, when a family member moves — update Section B. KindredMind references family members constantly, and accurate information matters.

Recurring questions — refine as you listen

After a few weeks of calls, you will see your call transcripts and notice which answers they respond to best — and where KindredMind might be missing the mark. Revise your recurring question answers based on what you observe. The system gets better with iteration.

Language notes — add them as you notice them

Your monthly Conversation Insights report will surface word substitutions and unexpected language patterns observed in calls. If you notice a pattern — a word they consistently use to mean something else — add it to Section I so KindredMind has it explicitly.

Quick notes — use them after every visit

A two-minute note after each visit is one of the most valuable habits you can build. Did they seem brighter than usual? Did they bring up a memory you had forgotten? Did something upset them? Notes like these, added over time, create a rich and current picture of their world.

Suggested rhythm: Update Their World Right Now weekly. Add a quick note after each visit. Review and refine recurring question answers every few weeks based on what you see in your call transcripts. Review the full intake form every few months as their situation evolves.

Privacy and encryption

Your knowledge base contains deeply personal information about someone you love. We take that responsibility seriously.

All sensitive data is encrypted at rest

All sensitive data is encrypted at rest using AES-256 encryption before being written to our database. It is decrypted only in memory when needed to respond to a call, and never stored unencrypted.

Only you can see your knowledge base

Your knowledge base is linked to your account and is not accessible to other users, staff, or third parties. KindredMind employees cannot view the contents of your knowledge base. Our systems access it only to serve responses during calls.

You can export or delete everything

From Settings → Account, you can download a complete export of everything in your knowledge base at any time. From Settings → Danger Zone, you can permanently delete your entire knowledge base and account — instantly and irreversibly.

Please do not include clinical medical information in your knowledge base — no diagnoses, medication names, dosages, or clinical care plans. The knowledge base is for KindredMind to speak with warmth and familiarity, not to provide medical advice. See our How We Protect Them page for details on what KindredMind does and does not do.

Content safety — permanent protections

No matter what is in your knowledge base — and no matter what the caller says during a call — certain content categories are permanently blocked from all responses. You do not need to configure these. They are always on.

Profanity and vulgar language

If the caller uses profanity, KindredMind responds to the emotion — never the language.

Sexual content

Disinhibition is common in dementia. KindredMind redirects warmly without drawing attention.

Racist and discriminatory language

All slurs and ethnic stereotypes are blocked. KindredMind does not mirror, correct, or lecture.

Sexual orientation commentary

KindredMind takes no position on anyone's identity and does not engage with questions designed to elicit it.

Body-based appearance judgment

Terms like fat, ugly, freak, and deformed are blocked for anyone on or off the call.

Beyond the built-in blocks: In Settings → Word Exclusions, you can add any additional words or phrases you want KindredMind to avoid — medical terminology that causes distress, jargon that does not fit your family's way of speaking, or anything else. You can also provide a replacement phrase. These are layered on top of the permanent protections and are specific to your loved one's experience.

Frequently asked questions

How much detail is enough?

There is no upper limit — more is always better. But even a relatively brief knowledge base is enough to produce meaningful, personal conversations.

If you are short on time, prioritize: Section A (who they are), Section H (recurring questions), and Section G (what is happening right now). These three sections have the most immediate impact on call quality.

Can I go back and edit the intake form after I have submitted it?

Yes. You can return to any section of your intake form at any time from your dashboard. Changes are saved and processed automatically. You can also update specific fields — like This Week — directly from your dashboard home page.

What if I do not know some of the details it is asking for?

Write what you know. Leave blank what you do not. You can always add more later.

If you have family members who know more about certain parts of their history, consider asking them to contribute. A sibling might remember stories about childhood that you never heard.

Can I see what KindredMind actually knows about them?

Yes. Your Knowledge Base page in the dashboard shows you a processed summary of everything KindredMind currently knows about your loved one, organized by category.

What if they bring up something KindredMind does not know about?

KindredMind is built to respond gracefully when it encounters something it does not have context for. It will not fabricate information — it will respond warmly and redirect to territory it knows well.

If they keep bringing up a topic KindredMind handles poorly, add it to your knowledge base as a quick note.

Does KindredMind remember what it said in a previous call?

KindredMind does not have access to previous call transcripts during a call. Each call draws from the knowledge base — not from call history. This means if you want KindredMind to follow up on something from a previous call, add it as a quick note in your knowledge base and it will be available for the next conversation.

My loved one speaks a language other than English — does that change how I write the knowledge base?

KindredMind's companion can speak in 11 languages — including Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, Greek, and Mandarin, with Cantonese and Tagalog in beta. You select the companion language once in Settings, and all calls are handled in that language.

The knowledge base is written in English by the caregiver. KindredMind draws on the relevant context automatically during each call, translating it into the selected companion language. You do not need to write the knowledge base twice. Write it the way you naturally think about your loved one — in English — and the companion will use it in the right language on every call.

How does KindredMind handle it if they are distressed or very confused?

KindredMind is built to respond to distress with calm, warmth, and reassurance — never with clinical language, never with alarm, never in a way that amplifies anxiety. It is also built to interpret unexpected or confused language charitably — responding to meaning rather than literal words, never drawing attention to confusion. If KindredMind detects elevated distress during a call, you are notified immediately. For more detail on every safety scenario, see How We Protect Them.

Need help building your knowledge base?

If you are not sure where to start, or if you would like advice on how to capture your loved one's story in a way that will be most useful, our support team is glad to help.

Contact support

See it in context.

Set up your knowledge base during onboarding. Sarah will guide you through it section by section — the whole intake takes about 20 minutes and is the most important thing you can do to make every call feel personal.

Get Started

Further reading