Question 1

Will my parent know it isn't a person?

Accepted Answer

Yes — and we insist on it. Porchlight introduces itself as an automated check-in service at the start of every call. We never pretend to be a human or a family member.

Question 2

What if my parent is hard of hearing?

Accepted Answer

Porchlight speaks slowly and clearly, and you can turn the pace down further in your settings. It also repeats questions patiently rather than moving on.

Question 3

Can my parent stop the calls?

Accepted Answer

Always. They can say they'd rather not talk today, or that they'd like the calls to stop altogether — and we tell you. Consent belongs to them, not to us.

Question 4

Does it work with a landline?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Landline, cordless, flip phone, or smartphone — anything that rings.

Question 5

Does this feel like I'm monitoring my parent?

Accepted Answer

No — that's the thing we built hardest against. You get a few honest sentences a day, not a live feed of their life, and we don't sell one either. The call is for them as much as for you.

Question 6

What happens if nobody answers?

Accepted Answer

We call once more a short while later. If that call also goes unanswered, you receive a missed-check-in alert. We tell you what we observed and nothing more — the decision about what to do is yours.

Question 7

What kinds of things trigger an alert?

Accepted Answer

Mentions of a fall, chest pain, or not being able to reach someone; noticeable confusion compared to previous days; distress; or two unanswered calls. Alerts describe what was said, they don't interpret it medically.

Question 8

Is Porchlight a medical or emergency service?

Accepted Answer

No. It is not a medical device, a diagnosis, a monitoring system, or an emergency response service. It gives no medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.

Question 9

Are the calls recorded?

Accepted Answer

Calls are transcribed so we can create your summary, and recordings are kept for a limited period before deletion. Your parent is told at the start of the call, and either of you can ask us to delete the history at any time.

Question 10

Who can see the summaries?

Accepted Answer

Only the family contacts you invite. We don't sell data, and we don't share summaries with insurers, advertisers, or anyone else.

Question 11

What is Recovery Mode?

Accepted Answer

It's a temporary change to the call for the weeks after a hospital stay or a procedure. You tell us the date they came home and roughly how long the recovery window is, and the call adds gentler, observational questions about how the days are going, a quiet check that the medicines have been taken, and a mention of the follow-up appointment. When the window ends, calls go back to normal on their own.

Question 12

Does Recovery Mode mean two calls a day?

Accepted Answer

Only if you want it. A second, shorter evening call is offered because some families find it reassuring in the first weeks — but two calls a day is a lot for some people, so you can turn it off in the intake form and keep the recovery questions on the one daily call.

Question 13

Does Recovery Mode involve my parent's hospital or medical records?

Accepted Answer

No. We don't connect to hospitals, health records, or any clinical system, and we don't score risk or interpret anything medically. You tell us what you'd like mentioned, and the call asks about it in plain, conversational language.

Question 14

Can our family share tasks and notes in one place?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Family Circle and Peace of Mind+ include a shared task list — who's picking up the prescription, who's driving Thursday — plus a care log timeline of calls, visits, and notes. Peace of Mind+ adds a private document vault for insurance details, the medication list, key contacts, and power of attorney.

Question 15

Can we try it first?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every plan is month to month with no contract, so you can try it for a month and cancel any time from your dashboard.

Straight answers, no small print.

Will Mom or Dad mind?

What if something's wrong?

Privacy and who sees what

Plans, recovery, and trying it

Still wondering something?