Summer Safety
Staying safe in the heat
Summer is right around the corner, and with it comes the risk of extreme heat waves. High temperatures can pose significant health risks to older adults, especially those who live alone without a strong support network nearby.
Your presence can help your members feel supported during the hot summer months.
❗️ Remember: The health and safety of both you and your members is our top priority! Please note that nothing in this newsletter changes the Papa Pal Service Scope or authorizes medical, clinical, or hands-on personal care.
💡Heat Safety Tips
- Stay hydrated & take breaks: Take reasonable steps to keep yourself safe, including drink plenty of fluids throughout your visit and take frequent breaks particularly when exerting energy in the heat.
- Know the signs: Familiarize yourself with the differences between heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
- Observe and escalate concerns: If you observe signs of heat distress, encourage the member to move to a cooler area if they are able, call 911 in an emergency, and report the concern through the app or by contacting our Papa Support Team.
Explore more summer safety tips here.
New Ways to Help
The Fall Risk Prevention Assessment
Many of our members spend the majority of their time at home. To help them age safely and independently, we want to proactively identify ways to improve their living spaces.
Starting next month, you may begin to see a special task appear during some of your scheduled visits. The Fall Risk Prevention Assessment is a brief, in-app survey focused on identifying:
- ⚠️ Visible tripping hazards (e.g., loose rugs, cluttered walkways)
- ✅ Visible safety features already in place (e.g., grab bars, good lighting)
- 💭 The member’s reported concerns about falling in their home
Note: The information you collect will be shared with the member’s health plan for care coordination or resource support if needed.
Pal Scope of Services
Helping members with unique needs
Some members may have unique needs or may ask for support that falls outside Papa’s companion-care scope. While we appreciate your eagerness to always help, Papa Pals should stay within the Papa Pal Service Scope and use approved escalation channels when a request appears to involve hands-on personal care, clinical support, or emergency assistance.
🚫 NO Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
You are not permitted to assist members with hands-on personal care. This applies even if the member, a family member, or another caregiver requests assistance.
❌ What you CANNOT do (ADLs)
✅ What you may do (Companion Care)
When navigating member requests, please reference the Papa Pal Service Scope to better understand what you can help with. If a request appears outside scope, decline the task, contact Papa Support, and document the issue through approved channels.
Q&A: Protecting Your Information
What information should—and shouldn’t—I share with Papa Support specialists?
When assisting you, our official support specialists will only ask you to verify your name, email address, and phone number associated with your Papa account.
❗️ Security Reminder: Never share your bank details or Social Security Number with anyone over the phone, via chat, text, or email.
If a background check is required for continued platform eligibility, you may receive communications from Papa and Papa’s background check vendor, depending on applicable law and Papa’s platform requirements. You will receive an email from Turn, Papa's current background check vendor, indicating the results of the background check. Papa will never ask you to pay for your own background check.