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What Can a Papa Pal Help Me With?

Get familiar with the types of visit tasks Papa Pals can and can’t support.

Curious about what tasks our Papa Pals can help with? Scroll through to learn more about the services we offer. For the safety and well-being of our community, please understand that your Papa Pal will not complete unapproved tasks. If a task isn’t listed under the “includes” section, the Papa Pal has the right to say no to completing it.

Not every member is eligible for each visit task. Health plans may have restrictions on how their members can use Papa. As an example, some plans don't offer transportation to their members, often because they have another transportation benefit in place. If you have any questions about which services you qualify for, please reach out to your health plan.

Companionship

Companionship is at the core of every visit. Papa Pals love a good card game, a stroll down memory lane, or participating in a favorite hobby. If it’s good company you need, they’ve got it in spades.

Includes:

  • Hanging out and having a conversation
  • Playing board games, card games, or video games
  • Watching a movie or TV show
  • Participating in a favorite hobby or activity

Excludes:

  • Serving members outside of the Papa platform
  • Anything that requires physical contact between the Papa Pal and the member, such as bathing, toileting, dressing, brushing teeth, feeding, or massages
  • Helping with activities that are not related to companionship, such as business endeavors, financial decisions, and legal, financial, or medical advice
  • Discussing a topic that makes the Papa Pal or the member uncomfortable, such as graphic, inappropriate, or explicit topics

House Tasks and To-Do Lists

Keeping up with your to-do list and tasks around the house can be overwhelming. Papa Pals can offer support with light house tasks, such as organizing, meal prep, pet help, and more. They will not assist with tasks that you would normally hire professional help for, such as lawn mowing, deep cleaning, or running power tools.

Includes:

  • Light house tasks, such as: Dusting open surfaces, wiping down counters, taking out the trash, or taking the trash bin to the curb and/or back
  • Helping make appointments and noting down information on future appointments
  • Laundry
  • Pet help
  • Meal prep assistance, such as: Preparing the ingredients for cooking, assembling ingredients for a meal, dishwashing, and clearing the table
  • Organization
  • Identifying safety hazards, such as: Changing light bulbs, replacing fire alarm/batteries, and removing fall hazards, such as extension cords and loose rugs

Excludes:

  • Deep cleaning, such as: Cleaning bathtubs and toilets, scrubbing floors, washing windows and ceiling fans, cleaning roofs and gutters, cleaning the exterior of a house or outdoor furniture, cleaning grout lines, carpet cleaning, and steam cleaning
  • Landscaper work
  • Power tool usage
  • Lifting objects more than 20 pounds
  • Cleaning soiled items
  • Any work requiring the use of a ladder

Transportation and Errands

Need a ride to a doctor’s appointment, help running errands, or picking up groceries? Your Papa Pal will safely get you where you need to go.

Available to eligible members; please reach out to your health plan/employer to see if you qualify. Mileage restrictions may apply.

Includes:

  • Dropping off or picking up an item, like a package or medication prescription
  • Trips to and from the following types of locations: Doctor’s appointments, social events, parks, stores or pharmacies

Excludes:

  • Emergency medical transportation
  • Wheelchair-accessible vehicle (Papa Pal’s vehicle may not be able to accommodate)
  • Entering the exam room
  • Papa Pals paying for the purchases
  • Picking up oversized items or controlled drugs
  • Crossing borders into Canada or MexicoEmergency medical transportation

Note: Papa Pals cannot transport anyone without the member present. Any companions who will be present must be specified when scheduling the visit. Papa Pals may decline a visit if they prefer not to or cannot accommodate a non-member passenger.

Additionally, when transporting minors, members/parents are strictly responsible for both providing and installing a car seat or car booster, as required by local law.

Technology Assistance

Our Papa Pals are here to help you set up and learn how to use devices and applications to stay in touch with loved ones, enjoy games, and so much more.

Includes:

  • Setting up personal tech devices like a phone or computer and downloading desired apps or games
  • Demonstrating how to make video calls, use email, or send text messages
  • Assisting with social media
  • Logging in to streaming platforms
  • Setting up online services for ordering groceries, transportation, and prescription delivery
  • Scheduling, attending, or assisting with telehealth appointments

Excludes:

  • Advanced technical help, such as setting up complex entertainment systems
  • Fixing broken appliances
  • Professional technical support, such as: Building websites, software development, managing an online business, doing taxes, etc.

Exercise

Being active is much more fun when you’ve got a cheerleader by your side. Papa Pals stand by, ready to lend their support and encouragement for your exercise endeavors!

Includes:

  • Attending exercise classes
  • Encouraging light exercises
  • Getting some fresh air outside
  • Assisting with physical therapy exercises that a professional prescribed as part of rehabilitation

Excludes:

  • Professional services, such as a personal trainer
  • Providing exercise equipment

Child and Parental Support

Parents can rely on Papa Pals for homework supervision, after-school snacks, and entertainment. Available to eligible members; please reach out to your health plan/employer to see if you qualify.

Includes:

  • Engaging in child-friendly activities, such as playing games, or working on a craft together
  • Meal prep (Papa Pals should check with parent or guardian about possible allergies)
  • Providing oversight during homework time

Excludes:

  • Supervising more than two children
  • Diaper changing, toileting, or bathing needs
  • Professional tutoring
  • High-intensity physical effort activities
  • Supervising children without a parent or guardian present

IMPORTANT

  • Children must be over the age of 3.
  • At least one parent or guardian is required to be present in the home.
  • Children must be toilet-trained or the parent should be available in the home for immediate bathroom assistance.
  • A Papa Pal may only watch up to two children.
  • When transporting minors, the member/parent is strictly responsible for both providing and installing a car seat or car booster, as required by local law.

For even more details on the types of tasks Papa Pals can help with, check out our Service Scope Guidelines. If you need help with something that Pals can’t do, it’s possible your health plan or employer has another service or benefit that can help. We encourage you to give them a call. Your Papa Pal can even help you make the phone call!