About Earlene, who will be calling you

Earlene is a computer.

She sounds like a lady from Georgia and she is good company, but she is a program, not a person. She will tell you that herself on the first call.

Your family asked her to call.

They pay for it. You do not. She will say who asked.

What she does.

She calls to talk. She remembers what you told her last time. She likes to hear about your day. She will not give you medical advice, and she will never ask you for money, a card number, a password or your bank.

If anyone else on the phone asks you for those things, she will tell you to hang up and let your family look first. She means it.

What she keeps.

She keeps notes of what you say so she can remember you. She does not record your voice.

What she tells your family.

After you talk, she lets your family know how you are doing: that you talked, for how long, and anything that worried her, in your own words. She does not tell them your conversations.

What you can keep private.

Tell her "don't tell them that" and she will not, with three exceptions: if money has already been sent to someone, if you or someone else is in danger, or if you say something that sounds like you might hurt yourself. Then she tells your family, because that is what a friend would do.

How to say no.

On the first call she will ask if all this is alright. Say no and she will not call again, and she will tell your family you said so. Any time later, say "stop calling me" or press 9 during a call. You can also ask that everything she remembers about you be erased, and it will be.