Elder Notice & Consent

Lantern only works — ethically and legally — when the person at the center of it agrees to it. In Lantern, the elder is a user, not a subject. This page has two parts: a plain-language notice written for the elder (the person the care is about), and a consent record families can complete and keep. Our Terms of Service (§ 6) require the family to obtain this consent (or hold lawful authority) before setting up Lantern for someone.

Part 1 — A note to you, the person this is for

What is collected about you

• Activity in your home, if sensors are set up: refrigerator or door openings, motion by room, appliance use, and bed times — moments, not pictures.
• Your daily call: whether you answered, and — with your OK — what you shared about sleep, meals, medicines, and how you feel.
• What your family keeps track of: medicines and schedules, appointments, meals, visits, blood pressure or other readings if they log them.
• Things the app works out from all this — like a gentle note to your family when your week looks different than usual.

Who can see it

• The family members and helpers in your “Care Circle,” chosen with you. Different people can be given different levels of access.
• You. You can always see what Lantern knows about you — it is your life, your information.
• Nobody at the Lantern company watches your days; the company’s computers process the information to run the app.

Your rights — at any time

• You can say no. Consent is voluntary, and saying no cannot be used to pressure you.
• You can change your mind. You (or your legal representative) can withdraw consent whenever you want — tell your family, or email sardoru@gmail.com — and collection stops.
• You can pick and choose. You can agree to the daily call but not sensors, or sensors but not call transcripts — Lantern is built feature by feature.
• You can ask what is collected, get a copy, ask for corrections, or ask for your information to be deleted.
• You can ask who is in your Care Circle and ask for someone to be removed.

Lantern is a tool for your family to show up for you — it is not a medical alert service and it does not call 911 for you. If you ever need help urgently, call 911 or use whatever emergency plan you and your family have set up.

Part 2 — Consent record (for the family to keep)

We recommend completing this record before turning features on, keeping a copy with your family documents, and revisiting it at least yearly or whenever circumstances change. We may ask you to confirm this consent exists. Print this page, or copy the text below.

Consent of the elder

I, ______________________________ (name), have read (or had read to me) the notice above. I understand what information Lantern collects about me, who can see it, and that I can change my mind at any time. I voluntarily agree to the features checked below:

• ☐ Daily check-in call   ☐ Call transcripts shared with my Care Circle   ☐ Home sensors   ☐ Medication tracking   ☐ Other: ______________
• Signature: ______________________________ Date: ______________
• Members of my Care Circle I approve: ______________________________

If the elder cannot consent for themselves

I, ______________________________ (name), consent on behalf of the elder under the following lawful authority (attach or keep a copy with this record):

• ☐ Durable power of attorney (with applicable authority) · ☐ Court-appointed guardian/conservator · ☐ Other legal authority: ______________
• Signature: ______________________________ Relationship: ______________ Date: ______________

Good-practice commitments by the family

• We discussed Lantern with the elder to the fullest extent their capacity allows, and will keep involving them.
• We will tell other household members and regular visitors about sensors and recorded calls where the law or courtesy calls for it — some states require everyone on a recorded call to agree.
• We will review Care Circle membership and this consent as health, capacity, or family circumstances change.
• We understand Lantern supplements — never replaces — regular direct contact.

A note on capacity and dignity

Capacity is not all-or-nothing. A person who cannot manage every detail may still be able to understand and decide about a daily call or sensors in their home. Err on the side of explaining, asking, and honoring preferences — and where formal authority is needed, consult an elder-law attorney about powers of attorney, guardianship, and your state’s requirements. This page is general information, not legal advice.