Frequently Asked Questions

No. Letters flow through StayAwhile only; no phone numbers, emails, or addresses are ever exchanged.

Anyone can volunteer, at any age. Parent or guardian details are optional.

Letters are read by staff first where the facility requires it, are printed by hand, and replies are handwritten and typed in by staff — so expect days to weeks, not minutes. You will see a notification on your dashboard when a reply arrives.

Facility staff at the resident's care community handle every letter: they print it and hand it to the resident and, depending on the facility's policy, read it first. Platform administrators can also view conversations, for safety and moderation. Nobody else can.

Be kind and keep it light: your day, hobbies, school, pets, favorite foods and memories. Never ask for or share phone numbers, emails, addresses, or last names. Health and money topics are best avoided. The full rules are in the Community Guidelines.

Yes to both. Each resident you write to gets their own conversation, and you can write again whenever you like.

Residents may be unwell, busy, or have limited energy. Keep writing kindly, and it is perfectly fine to take a break. A reply may simply take a while.

Use "Forgot password?" on the log-in page and answer the security question you chose when you signed up. There is no email or text-message recovery. After too many wrong attempts an account is locked for safety, and an administrator has to unlock it.

Use the report option at the bottom of any conversation, or contact us directly.

Anything that shares contact details, is unkind or inappropriate, or could upset the resident. Flagging lets you leave a private note and approve the letter later; rejecting stops it. Staff notes are never shown to volunteers.

Residents are added by facility staff, and residents never log in. Each facility is responsible for making sure a resident wants to take part before adding them, and staff can mark a resident inactive at any time to stop them appearing to volunteers.

A preferred name, hobbies, interests, favorite music and foods, memories, pets, fun facts, and conversation starters — the parts volunteers see. Staff can also record a resident's real name, which only that facility's staff and administrators can see. No room number, address, or medical information is stored.

Passwords are stored hashed, each facility's data is walled off from others, administrator actions are logged, and accounts lock after repeated failed log-ins. Letters stay inside the platform.

The platform has no fees or payments anywhere — volunteers, staff, and residents are never asked to pay to use it.