Terms of Use
Last updated October 2, 2026
These terms are an agreement between you and StayAwhile, the people who run this site. By creating an account or using the site you agree to them and to the Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the site.
What StayAwhile is
StayAwhile lets volunteers write letters to residents of participating care communities. A community's staff read letters according to their own policy, print them and hand them to the resident, and type in the replies the resident wants to send. Delivery is by people, so it is never instant, and we cannot promise that a particular letter will be answered.
Who can join
Volunteers of any age may join. If you are under 18, please talk to a parent or guardian first; you can add their details when you sign up. Staff and administrator accounts are created for you by an administrator.
Your account
- Give accurate information, and keep your password and security answer to yourself.
- One person, one account. You are responsible for what happens under it, so tell us right away if you think someone else has used it.
How to behave
You agree to follow the Community Guidelines. In particular:
- Be kind. Write the letter you would want to receive.
- Never ask for or share phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses or last names, yours or anyone else's, and never try to find out where a resident lives or to arrange to meet them or contact them outside the site.
- Do not ask residents for money, gifts or favors, and do not use the site for advertising, scams, harassment or anything unlawful, frightening, hurtful or unsuitable for an older person or a young volunteer.
- Do not pretend to be someone else.
- If something makes you uncomfortable, use the report option.
Your letters
Your letters remain yours. By sending one you allow StayAwhile, the resident's care community and the resident to read, print, keep and hand over that letter as part of the service, and allow us to keep it as a record, as described in the Privacy Policy. Printed letters belong to the resident they were given to.
What we and the care communities may do
Staff may hold, reject or stop any letter, and administrators may remove content or suspend or remove an account when it breaks these terms or the Community Guidelines, or when we think it is needed to keep someone safe. We will usually explain why, but we do not have to when safety is at stake.
Leaving
You can delete your account whenever you like (see the Privacy Policy for what that does).
No guarantees
We work hard to keep the site running and safe, but it is provided as it is, without promises that it will always be available or free of errors. StayAwhile does not provide professional, medical or legal advice, and is not responsible for the actions of the people who use it. To the extent the law allows, our responsibility to you for anything arising from the site is limited; nothing here limits any right you have that cannot be limited by law.
Changes
We may update these terms. The date at the top shows the latest version, and if a change matters to you we will tell you on the site or by email. Using the site after a change means you accept it.
Contact
Questions about these terms: use the Contact page.