Pal News: April ’23

After stepping away from the corporate world, Connor, 34, has been a full-time Papa Pal for a few months. Connor’s very first visit was with Rafi, a 79-year-old man who is fiercely independent. What can you do for someone who is perfectly capable of helping himself? Provide companionship.

Just because Rafi doesn’t need help with errands or keeping up with housework, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t need a Pal. It makes Connor feel good to provide companionship and a listening ear to Rafi. “To just sit down and share human interaction with someone is what makes him happy.”

Read Connor and Rafi's full story here.

Hear from our CEO, Andrew Parker, for the latest on product updates, Pal education, and more!

Watch the full video here.

Check out our new Papa Pal Safety resources.

Click here to learn more.

Preferred Pals foster a connection, build trust, and go on routine visits with the same member.

Being a Preferred Pal allows members to choose the Papa Pals they would like to see again for future visits. If you’ve established a good connection with a member, they can call Papa and select you as their Preferred Pal. This allows you first access to all of their future visits.

As a member's Preferred Pal, you will be the first person notified when a visit with that member is available in the Papa Pal app. Keep an eye on the 'My Requests' section of the app for available Preferred Pal visits.

*Pal Tip: If you have a great visit with a member, remind them that they can call Papa to set you up as their Preferred Pal. That way, you can spend more time together and continue building a rewarding connection!

Yes, you are able to make purchases for a member during your visits. For example, if a member asks you to pick up some grocery items and hands you money for this purchase, you’re able to support the member in this task.

However, please read through the best practices for handling these types of transactions with members:

Keep in mind Papa is not responsible for any expenses incurred during visits. If a member needs an item purchased, please ensure they’re using their personal funds. If a member is unable to afford a purchase, please report that in your visit feedback notes so we can follow up. We recommend never using your own money for any member-related purchases during visits. 

As you heard from Andrew in the video above, we’ve added new push notifications! Our Papa Product Team has been hard at work improving the Papa Pal app experience. 

If you’re a Preferred Pal, you’ll now receive push notifications for newly available visits in your area and you can immediately book the visit. 

If multiple visits are newly created in your area, you’ll receive one push notification. Make sure you thoroughly check the app following a notification to see if multiple visits have been added. Accept one or a few visits and build out your schedule!

*Pal Tip: Make sure you’ve enabled push notifications for the Papa Pal app so you won’t miss any new visits!

Las Vegas resident Mary Ann is a compassionate Papa Pal who has dedicated her life to helping children, seniors, and those in need. She was originally drawn to Papa’s mission to create health through connection. Mary Ann spoke with us to share some tips and insights into creating connections with members, using the Papa Pal app, and more!

When meeting a new member, how do you create a connection? I create a connection by being myself and I'm always respectful & kind. I love chatting with members to get to know them better, usually, they ask me questions as well. The member wants to get to know me too! 

Share with us your top tip for using the Papa Pal app. When I use the Papa Pal app, I always first find out what the member's needs are. Then, I will look at their location and use Google Maps to better understand the area before accepting the visit.

What’s your favorite thing to do with a member? I really don't have one favorite thing I do with a member, it's all wonderful to me! From playing board games & cards to exercising on a beautiful day in the park. One event that stands out to me is walking around with a member at the Palms Hotel & Casino, we had so much fun! To sum it up, what I do is extremely rewarding and when I leave and they're smiling, it's a great day.