SilverGuard ElderCare

Production-ready dual-mode eldercare app with server-side AI companion, built with Expo, Firebase, and Claude.

✅ Security-First Architecture: All AI processing happens server-side. Zero API keys in client code.

🎯 Features

Senior Mode (Voice-First, Simplified UX)

• AI Buddy: Claude 3.5 Sonnet with cognitive-level tuning (server-side processing)
  • Cognitive adaptation (levels 0-3)
  • Customizable tone (friendly, formal, funny, custom)
  • Text-to-speech for all responses
  • Tool access: medications, schedule, emergency SOS
• Medication Management: Simple "I took it" buttons with reminders
• Voice Messages: TTS read-aloud for caregiver messages
• Emergency SOS: Instant alert to all linked caregivers
• Appointments: Today's schedule with voice announcements
• Contacts: One-tap calling with caregiver-written scripts

Caregiver Mode (Full Control Center)

• Dashboard: Real-time alerts, medication adherence, daily reports
• AI Buddy Guardrails: Configure blocked topics and escalation policies
• Risk Monitoring: Automatic detection of self-harm, depression, pain, confusion
• Push Notifications: Instant alerts for critical risk flags
• Daily Wellbeing Reports: Automated summaries delivered at 8 PM
• Medications: Full schedule management and adherence tracking
• Appointments: Calendar with reminders
• Medical Records: Document storage and organization
• Finance & Bills: Transaction tracking and bill management
• Benefits: Medicare, insurance, Social Security management
• Messaging: Secure communication with voice read-aloud

🛠 Tech Stack

Client (React Native)

• Framework: Expo 50 + React Native 0.73 + TypeScript
• Database: Firebase Firestore (real-time, offline-capable)
• Authentication: Firebase Auth (Email/Password)
• Push Notifications: Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM)
• TTS: expo-speech (on-device, privacy-first)
• Navigation: React Navigation (stack + bottom tabs)

Server (Firebase Cloud Functions)

• Runtime: Node.js 18
• AI: Claude 3.5 Sonnet via Anthropic API (server-side only)
• Guardrails: Caregiver-programmable topic filtering
• Risk Detection: Keyword-based + LLM classification
• Notifications: FCM for iOS/Android push
• Scheduler: Daily reports via Cloud Scheduler (8 PM daily)

Security

• ✅ Zero secrets in client - All API keys server-side
• ✅ Firestore security rules - Role-based access control
• ✅ Server-side validation - All AI processing in Cloud Functions
• ✅ Encrypted communication - TLS everywhere

📦 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• macOS Tahoe 25.2.0 (or compatible macOS)
• Xcode 26.2 (for iOS development)
• Node.js 18+ and npm
• Firebase CLI: npm install -g firebase-tools
• Physical iOS device with Developer Mode enabled
• Firebase project created
• Anthropic API key from https://console.anthropic.com

Installation

See DEPLOYMENT.md for complete step-by-step instructions.

Quick setup:

# 1. Install app dependencies
npm install

# 2. Install Cloud Functions dependencies
cd functions
npm install
cd ..

# 3. Add Firebase config files
# - Place GoogleService-Info.plist in project root
# - Place google-services.json in project root

# 4. Configure Firebase
firebase login
firebase use silverguard-eldercare

# 5. Set Anthropic API key (server-side)
firebase functions:config:set anthropic.key="YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"

# 6. Deploy Cloud Functions and Firestore rules
cd functions
npm run build
cd ..
firebase deploy --only functions,firestore

# 7. Build iOS app
npx expo prebuild --clean --platform ios
cd ios
pod install
cd ..

# 8. Open in Xcode and build to device
open ios/ElderCare.xcworkspace

⚠️ Important: Native modules require physical device builds. Standard expo start won't work.

🔥 Firebase Setup

Firestore Collections

Create these collections with the following security rules:

// users/{userId}
{
  uid: string,
  role: 'caregiver' | 'senior',
  email: string,
  name: string,
  activeSeniorId?: string, // For seniors after pairing
  createdAt: timestamp
}

// seniors/{seniorId}
{
  id: string,
  primaryCaregiverUserId: string,
  profile: { name, dob, address },
  cognitive: { level: 0-3, tone, customToneNotes },
  autonomyFlags: { canEditContacts, canEditReminders, canEditSchedule },
  preferences: { fontScale: 1.0-1.8, highContrast, voiceRate: 0.8-1.2, quietHours }
}

// links/{caregiverId}_{seniorId}
{
  caregiverUserId: string,
  seniorId: string,
  role: 'admin' | 'editor' | 'viewer' | 'emergency_only',
  createdAt: timestamp
}

// threads/senior_{seniorId}
{
  id: string,
  seniorId: string,
  lastMessage: string,
  lastMessageAt: timestamp,
  unreadCount: number
}

// messages (subcollection of threads)
{
  id: string,
  seniorId: string,
  threadId: string,
  senderUserId: string,
  senderRole: 'senior' | 'caregiver' | 'system',
  type: 'text',
  text: string,
  createdAt: timestamp,
  requiresVoiceRead: boolean, // Trigger TTS for senior
  awaitingVoiceReply: boolean,
  urgency: 'normal' | 'urgent'
}

// medications/{medicationId}
{
  id: string,
  seniorId: string,
  name: string,
  dosage: string,
  instructions: string,
  requiresFood: boolean,
  schedule: { frequency: 'daily', times: [{ hour, minute }] },
  isActive: boolean
}

// medEvents/{eventId}
{
  id: string,
  seniorId: string,
  medicationId: string,
  medicationName: string,
  scheduledTime: timestamp,
  status: 'pending' | 'taken' | 'missed' | 'skipped',
  takenAt?: timestamp
}

// appointments/{appointmentId}
{
  id: string,
  seniorId: string,
  title: string,
  location: string,
  phone: string,
  notes: string,
  dateTime: timestamp
}

// contacts/{contactId}
{
  id: string,
  seniorId: string,
  name: string,
  phoneNumber: string,
  relationship: 'family' | 'friend' | 'doctor' | 'emergency',
  isPrimary: boolean,
  callScript?: string // Caregiver-written script for senior
}

// alerts/{alertId}
{
  id: string,
  seniorId: string,
  type: 'sos' | 'medication_missed' | 'geofence_exit' | 'fall_detected',
  severity: 'critical' | 'high' | 'medium' | 'low',
  message: string,
  status: 'active' | 'acknowledged' | 'resolved',
  acknowledgedBy?: string,
  location?: { lat, lng },
  createdAt: timestamp,
  resolvedAt?: timestamp
}

// healthLogs/{logId}
{
  id: string,
  seniorId: string,
  type: 'blood_pressure' | 'weight' | 'heart_rate' | 'glucose' | 'temperature' | 'oxygen',
  value: any, // number or object (e.g., { systolic: 120, diastolic: 80 })
  unit: string,
  notes: string,
  timestamp: timestamp
}

Firestore Security Rules

rules_version = '2';
service cloud.firestore {
  match /databases/{database}/documents {
    // Users can read/write their own profile
    match /users/{userId} {
      allow read, write: if request.auth != null && request.auth.uid == userId;
    }

    // Senior profiles: accessible by linked caregivers
    match /seniors/{seniorId} {
      allow read: if request.auth != null && (
        exists(/databases/$(database)/documents/links/$(request.auth.uid + '_' + seniorId)) ||
        get(/databases/$(database)/documents/users/$(request.auth.uid)).data.activeSeniorId == seniorId
      );
      allow write: if request.auth != null &&
        exists(/databases/$(database)/documents/links/$(request.auth.uid + '_' + seniorId));
    }

    // Links: caregivers can manage their links
    match /links/{linkId} {
      allow read, write: if request.auth != null;
    }

    // All other collections follow similar pattern
    // (check if user is linked to the seniorId)
  }
}

🤖 AI Buddy - Server-Side Architecture

The AI Buddy runs entirely in Firebase Cloud Functions for maximum security and privacy.

Architecture Flow

Senior App → Cloud Function (buddyChat) → Anthropic API → Response
                    ↓
            Guardrails Check
                    ↓
            Risk Detection
                    ↓
            Firestore (save)
                    ↓
    Caregiver Notification (if needed)

Features

Cognitive-Level Adaptation (0-3)

• Level 0 (Independent): Natural adult conversation, minimal assistance
• Level 1 (Minimal Support): Clear language, gentle reminders
• Level 2 (Moderate Support): Simple sentences, step-by-step guidance
• Level 3 (High Support): Very simple language, extra patience, positive reinforcement

Tone Customization

• Formal: Polite, respectful, professional
• Friendly: Warm, conversational, like a good friend
• No-nonsense: Direct, efficient, straight to the point
• Funny: Gentle humor, lighthearted, cheerful
• Custom: User-defined tone with custom notes

Caregiver Guardrails

• Blocked Topics: Hard refusal or gentle redirect
• Avoidance Style: Configurable strictness
• Privacy Mode: Full excerpt or summary-only for caregivers

Risk Detection (Automatic)

• Self-harm / suicide language (highest priority)
• Depression / hopelessness
• Medication refusal
• Pain / physical distress
• Confusion / disorientation
• Memory problems / dementia signs

Notifications

• Critical risks → High-priority push notification
• Medium/Low risks → Normal priority (if auto-notify enabled)
• Respects caregiver escalation preferences

Tool Access

• get_medications: Today's medication schedule
• get_schedule: Today's appointments
• trigger_sos: Emergency alert (explicit request only)

Daily Wellbeing Reports

Automated reports generated nightly at 8 PM:

• Medication adherence stats (taken/missed/total)
• Risk flags detected (count by type)
• Appointments completed
• Buddy chat activity
• Low-priority notification to caregivers

See functions/README.md for Cloud Functions documentation.

📱 Development

Run on iOS

npx expo run:ios

Run on Android

npx expo run:android

Build for Production

iOS (TestFlight)

eas build --platform ios --profile production
eas submit --platform ios

Android (Play Store)

eas build --platform android --profile production
eas submit --platform android

🔐 Security & Environment

Client (.env)

No sensitive data! Firebase config loaded from GoogleService-Info.plist and google-services.json.

Server (functions/.env + Firebase Config)

# Local development
functions/.env: ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-api03-xxxxx

# Production (Firebase Config)
firebase functions:config:set anthropic.key="YOUR_KEY"

📂 Project Structure

eldercare/
├── src/                           # React Native app
│   ├── components/                # Reusable UI components
│   ├── design/                    # Design tokens
│   ├── navigation/                # Role-based routing
│   ├── screens/                   # All app screens
│   │   ├── auth/                  # Login, SignUp (2 screens)
│   │   ├── senior/                # Senior mode (7 screens)
│   │   └── caregiver/             # Caregiver mode (13 screens)
│   ├── services/                  # Core services
│   │   ├── auth.ts                # Firebase Auth
│   │   ├── firebase.ts            # Firestore + Functions
│   │   ├── buddy.ts               # AI Buddy (calls Cloud Function)
│   │   ├── voice.ts               # TTS/STT
│   │   └── ...
│   ├── state/                     # React hooks
│   ├── types/                     # TypeScript types
│   └── utils/                     # Utilities
│
├── functions/                     # Firebase Cloud Functions
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── index.ts               # Main exports
│   │   └── buddy/
│   │       ├── buddyChat.ts       # AI Buddy (main function)
│   │       ├── guardrails.ts      # Topic filtering
│   │       ├── riskDetection.ts   # Safety monitoring
│   │       ├── notifications.ts   # Push alerts
│   │       └── dailyReport.ts     # Scheduled reports
│   ├── package.json               # Server dependencies
│   └── tsconfig.json              # Server TypeScript config
│
├── ios/                           # Native iOS project
│   ├── Podfile                    # iOS dependencies (incl. gRPC fixes)
│   └── ElderCare.xcworkspace      # Xcode workspace
│
├── android/                       # Native Android project
│
├── firebase.json                  # Firebase project config
├── firestore.rules                # Security rules
├── firestore.indexes.json         # Database indexes
├── .firebaserc                    # Firebase project ID
│
├── DEPLOYMENT.md                  # Complete deployment guide
├── BUILD_SUMMARY.md               # Build statistics
├── app.json                       # Expo configuration
├── package.json                   # App dependencies
└── tsconfig.json                  # App TypeScript config

Total: 23 screens (7 Senior + 2 Auth + 13 Caregiver + 1 Root)

🚀 Deployment Checklist

Completed ✅

• 23 screens implemented (7 Senior + 2 Auth + 13 Caregiver + 1 Root)
• Firebase Cloud Functions created
• Server-side AI Buddy (NO API keys in client!)
• Guardrails system (caregiver-programmable blocked topics)
• Risk detection (self-harm, depression, pain, confusion, dementia, meds)
• Caregiver notifications (automatic push alerts)
• Daily wellbeing reports (scheduled 8 PM daily)
• Firestore security rules (role-based access control)
• Firestore indexes (optimized queries)
• Firebase config files (firebase.json, .firebaserc)
• Text-to-speech (expo-speech with senior-friendly settings)
• Speech-to-text framework (documented implementation path)
• Xcode 26 compatibility fixes (gRPC template errors resolved)
• Code signing configured
• Developer Mode enabled on iPhone

To Deploy 🚀

• Install dependencies: npm install && cd functions && npm install && cd ..
• Deploy Firestore: firebase deploy --only firestore
• Deploy Functions: firebase deploy --only functions
• Build iOS: npx expo prebuild --clean && cd ios && pod install && cd ..
• Test on device: Build via Xcode to iPhone 17 Pro Max
• Test AI Buddy end-to-end (guardrails, risk detection, notifications)
• Verify daily reports generate at 8 PM
• Test all 23 screens on physical device

Future (Production Release) 📱

• EAS Build: eas build --platform ios
• Submit to TestFlight for beta testing
• Implement subscription (RevenueCat): $14.99/mo with AI, $9.99 one-time without
• App Store submission (privacy policy, screenshots, description)
• Enable Sentry for error tracking
• Set up Firebase Analytics
• Monitor Cloud Functions costs and performance

📖 Documentation

• DEPLOYMENT.md - Complete deployment guide
• functions/README.md - Cloud Functions documentation
• BUILD_SUMMARY.md - Build statistics and screen list

📄 License

Proprietary - SilverGuard ElderCare

© 2026 SilverGuard. All rights reserved.

🤝 Support

• GitHub Issues: https://github.com/spencerandtheteagues/Silverguard-Eldercare/issues
• Firebase Console: https://console.firebase.google.com/project/silverguard-eldercare
• Anthropic Support: https://support.anthropic.com

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Built with ❤️ for seniors and their caregivers

Version: 1.0.0 Last Updated: 2026-01-02 Firebase Project: silverguard-eldercare Bundle ID: com.silverguard.eldercare