Reminder calls for elderly parents, set in ChatGPT

Helping an older parent stay on top of medication and appointments often falls to an adult child who lives elsewhere. ReminderIt lets you set up their reminder calls from your own account through ChatGPT, so you do the fiddly part and they simply answer the phone.

There is one important first step built in for their protection: before ReminderIt will call your parent, it places a consent call to them. This guide walks through adding them, scheduling their reminders, and keeping track of who is set up.

Consent comes first

Before you can schedule calls for someone else, they have to agree to receive them. When you ask ChatGPT to add your parent as a recipient, it uses add_recipient, which triggers a consent call to their number. Only once they have accepted can reminders be scheduled to them.

This is a feature, not a hurdle. It means your parent knowingly opts in, and no one can be signed up for calls without their say-so.

Add your parent as a recipient

Tell ChatGPT who you are adding and their number, for example "add my mum as a care recipient on this number". ChatGPT runs add_recipient and the consent call goes out. It helps to warn your parent it is coming so they do not mistake it for a spam call.

If the consent call is missed, you can ask ChatGPT to resend the verification, which uses resend_recipient_verification.

Schedule their reminders in their zone

Once consent is in place, set their calls the same way you would your own, but in their time zone. A daily pill reminder for a parent in India would use Asia/Kolkata; one for a parent in London would use Europe/London.

Make the spoken message warm and clear, since they are the one hearing it: "Good morning Mum, time for your morning tablets" reads far better than a terse note.

Keep track of who is set up

As you add more than one person, or just to check things are in place, ask ChatGPT "who are my care recipients?". It uses list_recipients to show everyone on your account and their verification status.

If someone no longer needs calls, "remove my dad as a recipient" uses remove_recipient to take them off. You stay in control of the list at all times.

Example: a parent's daily pill call

First: "Add my mother as a care recipient, her number is ...". ChatGPT uses add_recipient and a consent call rings her phone. After she accepts, type: "Call my mother every day at 8am Asia/Kolkata and remind her to take her morning tablets." ChatGPT uses create_reminder with the cron 0 8 * * * in Asia/Kolkata for her.

Confirm with "list my recipients and my upcoming calls" so ChatGPT runs list_recipients and list_upcoming together. Remember reminders are a helpful aid, not medical advice, and it is worth telling your parent to expect the calls.