Terms of Service

Welcome to GoldieCircle! These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your use of the GoldieCircle platform, website, and services. By accessing or using GoldieCircle, you agree to be bound by these Terms.

1. Our Platform

GoldieCircle is a platform for seniors, caregivers, and their families. It has two sides that work together, and it matters which one you are reading:

• A community — where members share experiences, ask questions, and support one another. What members write reflects their own views and experience, not ours.
• Things we publish and provide ourselves — articles and guides, the Goldie Weekly magazine, our original stories and their audio, benefits and program information, brain games, and AI-assisted tools such as Ask Goldie and the Document Helper.

Everything on GoldieCircle is for general information, learning, and companionship between members. None of it is professional advice — please see Section 4 (Benefits), Section 11 (Peer Support vs. Professional Services), and Section 22 (AI-Assisted Features).

1.1 What GoldieCircle Offers

Features change as we improve the platform. This is what we currently offer; the pricing page always shows what is included in each plan.

Ask Goldie (AI chat):

• A clearly-labeled AI helper that answers questions about benefits, programs, and using the site, and that will listen if you simply want to talk something through
• Daily message limits apply and differ by plan (currently 25 a day for free accounts and 100 a day for Premium); optional token packs add more
• Goldie is not a person and never claims to be — see Section 22

Benefits and program information:

• Information we compile about federal and state benefit programs (Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, SSI, SNAP, Veterans benefits, housing and utility assistance, state programs, and more)
• A personalized eligibility check that screens you against program rules and suggests programs worth looking into
• Directories of local offices, facilities, and services
• The ability to save programs and products you want to come back to

Reading and listening:

• Articles and guides, with AI-generated summaries
• Goldie Weekly, our magazine, published each Saturday
• Audio Books — our original Saturday Serial stories as listenable chapters
• Read-aloud audio for articles, the magazine, chat, and documents. English narration is available to registered members; Premium members can listen in their own language with a natural voice (currently 10 languages)

Community Chatrooms:

• Topic-based rooms (everyday conversation, health and wellness, caregiving, tech help, hobbies, grief support, and more), where you take part under a chosen nickname rather than your real name
• Messages are automatically translated so members who do not share a language can talk to each other (currently 10 languages). Translation is machine-made and may be imperfect
• Free accounts may read every room, chat freely in the General Lounge and Grief Support, and currently receive 3 guest passes a month that open another room for a day. Premium members may chat in every room and host a private room for family and friends

Goldie Mentors:

• Articles and general guidance from experienced members and contributors we call Mentors, on subjects such as benefits and online safety
• You can ask a Mentor your own question and read their answers
• Mentor content is general information and personal experience only — not professional advice

Document Helper:

• Upload a letter or form and have it explained in plain language, translated, or read aloud
• Monthly upload and page limits apply and differ by plan (currently 3 uploads a month for free accounts and 5 for Premium); token packs add more

Brain games and puzzles:

• Games and puzzles for enjoyment and mental exercise, including a daily challenge and leaderboards showing player nicknames
• Games are for entertainment only. There is no wagering, no prize of monetary value, and no gambling of any kind, and scores and rankings have no cash value
• Premium members play without advertisements

Local events and community listings:

• Listings of events and activities near you, gathered from third-party sources
• We do not organize, host, verify, or endorse these events — please see Section 14

1.2 Emails We Send

When you create an account we send you messages needed to run it — verification codes, receipts, security notices, and replies to your requests. We also send a weekly email with the new issue of Goldie Weekly, and occasional news about the platform. You can unsubscribe from the weekly and promotional emails at any time using the link in the email or in your profile settings; we will still send the account and transactional messages described above, because they are part of providing the service.

1.3 SMS Text Messaging Program

Program Name: GoldieCircle Account Verification

Description: We offer SMS text messaging for account verification and security purposes. When you sign up using your phone number, you’ll receive one-time verification codes (OTP) via text message.

Message Frequency: Approximately 1-3 messages per signup or login attempt. We only send verification codes when you request them – no marketing messages.

Message and Data Rates: Standard message and data rates may apply from your mobile carrier. Please check with your carrier for details about your messaging plan.

Opt-In Consent: By providing your phone number during signup, you consent to receive SMS verification codes from GoldieCircle. Consent is not a condition of using other features of our platform – you can always choose email signup instead.

Opt-Out Instructions: You may opt out at any time by:

• Replying STOP to any message to unsubscribe from SMS notifications
• Choosing email-based signup instead of phone signup
• Contacting [email protected] to remove your phone number

Help: Reply HELP to any message or contact [email protected] for assistance.

Customer Support:

• Email: [email protected]
• Privacy questions: [email protected]
• We respond within 1-2 business days

SMS Service Provider: We use Twilio Inc. for SMS delivery. By opting in, you consent to receive messages sent via automated technology. Your phone number will not be shared with third parties for marketing purposes.

Privacy: See our Privacy Policy for details on how we handle your phone number and personal information.

Our Charitable Giving Commitment

GoldieCircle donates an amount equal to five percent (5%) of the payments it receives for Premium memberships and voluntary donations to nonprofit organizations serving homebound seniors and families facing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. This contribution is made by GoldieCircle from its own funds — it is a gift by GoldieCircle, not a donation by you, and no portion of your payment is tax-deductible to you. We make these contributions periodically (currently on a quarterly basis), and we may direct them among comparable charitable organizations serving seniors.

2. Platform Use Cases

GoldieCircle serves various community needs:

For Seniors:

• Benefits Navigation: “How do I apply for Medicare Part D?”
• Technology Help: “Can someone explain how video calling works?”
• Health Management: “What worked for you with arthritis pain?”
• Social Connection: “Anyone in Baltimore want to start a walking group?”
• Aging in Place: “Tips for making my home safer as I age?”
• Financial Planning: “How do I understand my Social Security statement?”

For Caregivers:

• Caregiver Support: “How do you handle caregiver burnout?”
• Practical Advice: “Best ways to help Mom remember medications?”
• Resource Finding: “Where can I find respite care in Maryland?”
• Emotional Support: “Anyone else feel guilty about needing a break?”
• Benefits Info: “What caregiver tax credits are available?”

For Adult Children:

• Parent Support: “How to start the conversation about moving?”
• Long-Distance Care: “Managing Dad’s care from another state”
• Benefits Assistance: “Helping Mom apply for Medicaid – where to start?”
• Family Dynamics: “Siblings not helping with caregiving – advice?”

3. Community: Chatrooms and Goldie Mentors

GoldieCircle offers two community features: the Chatrooms, where members talk with one another in topic-based rooms, and Goldie Mentors, where experienced members and contributors share helpful articles and answer questions. (Mentors were previously called “Gurus.”) Available features, rooms, and roles may change over time.

3.1 Chatrooms

The Chatrooms are topic-based rooms where members can post and read messages. Rooms may include, for example:

• General Lounge: everyday conversation, open to everyone
• Health & Wellness: aging well, staying active, general wellness
• Caregiver Corner: support for those caring for a loved one
• Tech Help: phones, computers, and spotting scams
• Hobbies & Games: gardens, recipes, puzzles, and pastimes
• Grief Support: a gentle space for members experiencing loss

To help protect members, the Chatrooms are designed with safeguards, which may include: members taking part under a chosen nickname rather than their real name; limits on sending private one-to-one messages to strangers; automated safety screening and human review of messages; and account verification. Please also follow the community and safety guidelines shown within the Chatrooms.

Who can chat where. Everyone with an account may read every room. Free accounts may chat freely in the General Lounge and Grief Support, and currently receive three guest passes each month, each of which opens another room for the day. Premium members may chat in every room and host a private room for family and friends. These allowances are part of your plan and may change; the pricing page shows what applies today.

Automatic translation. So that members who do not share a language can still talk to one another, messages are automatically translated for the reader. Translation is done by machine, is not reviewed by a person, and may be inaccurate — meaning, tone, and idiom can be lost. Please allow for that in how you read what others write, and tell us if a translation causes a misunderstanding.

Goldie in the rooms. Our AI helper may take part in the Chatrooms, and is always clearly labeled as AI. It is not a member, not a person, and does not represent any member’s views.

3.2 Goldie Mentors

Goldie Mentors (previously called “Gurus”) are experienced community members or contributors who share articles and general guidance on topics such as benefits and online safety, and who may answer questions submitted by members. Some Mentors are presented under a pen name or persona rather than a legal name. Mentor content reflects the personal knowledge and opinions of the contributor, may be prepared with the help of AI tools, and is general information only. It is not professional medical, legal, financial, or other licensed advice — please see Section 11 (Peer Support vs. Professional Services). Questions and answers you submit may be shown publicly under your nickname unless you mark a question private.

All applicable community guidelines apply to the Chatrooms and to Goldie Mentors. We may add, change, or discontinue community features, rooms, or roles at any time.

4. Benefits, Facility and Service Information

IMPORTANT – Please Read Carefully:

4.1 Nature of Benefits Information

GoldieCircle provides information about federal and state benefit programs including but not limited to:

• Federal Programs: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans benefits, SSI, SNAP, housing assistance
• State Programs: State health insurance programs, property tax relief, utility assistance, caregiver support programs
• Tax Benefits: Senior tax credits, caregiver tax deductions, medical expense deductions

This information reaches you in three different ways, and it is important to know which you are looking at:

• Information we compile. We gather and publish program descriptions, eligibility rules, income thresholds, and directories of local offices and services, drawn from public government sources. We work to keep this current and we re-check it regularly, but rules change constantly and errors are possible.
• Answers from Goldie and our Mentors. Our AI helper and our Mentors can explain programs and help you think through your situation. These answers are generated or written for general guidance and may be incomplete or out of date.
• What other members share. Members describe their own experiences of applying for and receiving benefits. This is personal experience, not expertise.

4.2 Not Professional Advice, and Not an Official Determination

Whichever of the three it is, please understand:

• GoldieCircle is not a government agency and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Medicaid, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or any state agency
• We are not licensed benefits counselors, social workers, attorneys, or insurance agents, and neither are our community members
• Benefit rules, eligibility, and programs change frequently, vary significantly by state, and turn on individual circumstances
• We do not file applications for you, and we cannot influence any agency’s decision

4.3 About the Eligibility Check

Our personalized eligibility check asks you questions and compares your answers to published program rules, so you can see which programs may be worth looking into. It is a screening tool, not an eligibility determination.

• Only the agency that runs a program can decide whether you qualify for it
• A result suggesting you may qualify is not a promise of benefits, of approval, or of any dollar amount; where we show figures, they are program thresholds or maximums, not what you personally would receive
• A result suggesting you may not qualify is not a reason to skip applying — our information may be incomplete, or your circumstances may not fit the questions we asked
• Results depend entirely on the accuracy of what you tell us
• Always apply and confirm through the official sources listed below

4.4 Always Verify Benefits Information

You MUST:

• Verify all benefits information with official sources:
  • Social Security: SSA.gov or 1-800-772-1213
  • Medicare: Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE
  • Veterans: VA.gov or local VA office
  • Medicaid: Your state Medicaid office
  • State Programs: Your state’s Department of Aging or Social Services
• Consult with licensed benefits counselors or social workers for personalized guidance
• Contact SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) for Medicare questions
• Seek legal advice for complex benefit situations

4.5 No Liability for Benefits Information

To the maximum extent permitted by law, GoldieCircle and its community members are NOT responsible for:

• Accuracy of benefit information shared
• Changes to benefit programs or eligibility
• Outcomes of benefit applications or decisions
• Financial consequences of relying on community-shared information

4.6 Search Results, Directories and Ratings

When you search GoldieCircle for benefits, programs, facilities, offices or local services, we show you information gathered from public and third-party sources — including federal and state government databases, provider directories, and publicly available listings. Results are a starting point for your own research, not a recommendation, referral, endorsement, or placement service. GoldieCircle is not a healthcare provider, insurance agent, broker, discharge planner, care manager, or senior-living placement agency, and we do not accept payment from any facility in exchange for appearing, ranking higher, or being suggested to you.

The order in which results appear is produced automatically — usually by distance, and sometimes by a published rating — and does not mean we consider one option better, safer, or more suitable for you than another.

4.7 Where Ratings Come From

Where we show a rating, it belongs to whoever published it, not to us:

• Nursing homes, home health agencies and hospices: star ratings, inspection summaries and quality measures come from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Care Compare data on Medicare.gov. We refresh this data periodically, so what you see may be older than what CMS publishes today.
• Adult day care and other local services: where a rating is shown, it may come from publicly available third-party review sources such as Google. Those are opinions submitted by members of the public. We do not verify who wrote them, and we do not moderate or remove them.

A rating is a snapshot of the information a third party held on a particular date. It is not a guarantee of the care, safety, staffing, cleanliness, or treatment any person will actually receive, and it can change or be corrected after we display it. We do not calculate, audit, adjust or stand behind any rating.

4.8 Please Check Before You Commit

Choosing a nursing home, an assisted living community, a home health agency, an adult day program, or any in-home caregiver is one of the most consequential decisions a family makes, and it is often made quickly — in the days after a hospital discharge. Please do not make it on our listing alone.

Before you sign anything, place a loved one, or pay a deposit, we ask you to:

• Visit in person — more than once if you can, and at different times of day, including an evening or a weekend
• Ask to see the most recent state inspection or survey report, and ask what has been corrected since
• Confirm the licence is current with your state licensing or health department, and check for complaints or enforcement actions
• Confirm current openings, costs, what is included, and what is billed separately, in writing
• Ask whether they accept your coverage — Medicare, Medicaid, or your plan — and get that in writing too
• Talk to your local Area Agency on Aging or your State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, who can tell you things no database holds
• Read the contract — including the discharge, transfer and arbitration terms — before signing, and take it away to read if you need to

Details such as addresses, phone numbers, hours, ownership, staffing, acceptance of Medicare or Medicaid, and whether a place is still open change constantly, and our copy can be wrong or out of date. If you find a listing that is incorrect, please tell us at [email protected] so we can fix it.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, GoldieCircle is not liable for any decision you make about a facility, provider, program or service found through the Service, or for the acts or omissions of any facility, provider or caregiver.

5. Caregiver Resources and Support

5.1 Caregiver Information Sharing

Community members share information about:

• Caregiving techniques and strategies
• Local and national caregiver resources
• Respite care options
• Caregiver support groups
• Financial assistance for caregivers
• Self-care strategies
• Medical equipment and supplies

5.2 Caregiver Safety Disclaimer

Caregiving involves serious responsibilities. Please note:

• Medical caregiving information shared is from personal experience, not medical training
• Always follow care plans from licensed healthcare providers
• Emergency situations require immediate professional help (call 911)
• Medication management should be supervised by healthcare professionals
• Physical care techniques should be learned from trained professionals

5.3 Respite and Support Resources

While community members may share information about respite care and support services:

• Verify all service providers independently
• Check licensing and credentials
• Read reviews from multiple sources
• GoldieCircle does not endorse or vet service providers mentioned by users
• We are not responsible for the quality or safety of any services

6. Eligibility

To use GoldieCircle, you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Provide accurate registration information
• Maintain the security of your account credentials
• Comply with all applicable laws and regulations

If you create an account on behalf of someone else (such as an elderly parent), you represent that you have authority to do so and will be responsible for all account activity.

7. Account Responsibilities

You are responsible for:

• All activity that occurs under your account
• Maintaining accurate and current profile information
• Notifying us immediately of any unauthorized access
• Keeping your password secure and confidential
• Ensuring information you share is truthful and helpful

We reserve the right to:

• Suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms
• Remove content that doesn’t meet our community standards
• Modify or discontinue services with reasonable notice
• Investigate suspicious activity or policy violations

8. Community Guidelines

To maintain a safe and welcoming environment, all users must:

8.1 Be Respectful

• Treat all community members with kindness and dignity
• Refrain from harassment, bullying, or discriminatory behavior
• Respect diverse opinions and experiences
• Disagree respectfully when views differ
• Be patient with members learning to use technology

8.2 Be Honest

• Provide truthful information in your profile
• Share accurate experiences and advice
• Don’t misrepresent your identity or qualifications
• Clarify when sharing personal opinions vs. facts
• Acknowledge when you’re not sure about something

8.3 Be Helpful

• Share knowledge generously
• Answer questions when you have relevant experience
• Provide constructive feedback
• Welcome new community members
• Contribute to a positive atmosphere

8.4 Be Safe

• Never share personal financial information publicly (SSN, bank accounts, credit cards)
• Be cautious about sharing detailed health information
• Use discretion when sharing your address or phone number
• Report suspicious activity or concerning behavior
• Use common sense when arranging in-person meetings
• Don’t share other people’s private information

8.5 Don’t:

• Post spam, advertisements, or promotional content without permission
• Share copyrighted material without authorization
• Attempt to harm, harass, or deceive other users
• Use the platform for any illegal purposes
• Impersonate others or create fake accounts
• Share dangerous or harmful advice
• Solicit money or sell products/services
• Share medical advice that could cause harm

9. Content and Intellectual Property

9.1 Your Content

When you post content on GoldieCircle (posts, comments, photos, etc.):

• You retain ownership of your content
• You grant us a license to display, store, and share your content as necessary to operate the platform
• You represent that you have the right to post the content
• You understand that other users may see and respond to your content
• You can delete your content at any time

9.2 Our Content

Everything we publish on GoldieCircle is original work created by or for GoldieCircle LLC, and it is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual-property laws. This includes:

• our articles, guides, and benefits explanations;
• the Goldie Weekly magazine and every issue of it;
• our Saturday Serial stories — including Second Spring and The Cardinal at the Window — together with their characters, plots, settings, chapter titles, and the order in which the story is revealed;
• the audio recordings and narration of any of the above, in every language we offer, and the Audio Books library;
• our images, illustrations, book covers, and page designs;
• the GoldieCircle name and logo, and the names of our features and characters; and
• our software, and the selection and arrangement of everything on this site.

What you are welcome to do

We want our writing to be read, heard, and passed along. Without asking us first, you may:

• Read, listen to, and print anything here for yourself, your family, or someone you care for;
• Share a link to any page with anyone you like;
• Quote a short passage — a paragraph or so — as long as you say it came from GoldieCircle and link back to it.

What needs our written permission first

Please write to us before you:

• republish, reprint, or post a whole article, magazine issue, or story chapter anywhere else, online or in print;
• use our writing, recordings, images, or characters in any product, service, publication, newsletter, class, broadcast, or podcast;
• translate, adapt, dramatize, or continue any of our stories, or create new work based on our characters or plots;
• copy, scrape, or collect our content in bulk — by hand or by automated means — including to build, train, or evaluate any artificial-intelligence or machine-learning system. We expressly reserve all rights in our content for these purposes. Making our work publicly readable does not grant anyone a licence to mine it, and this sentence is our reservation of those rights;
• use the GoldieCircle name or logo in a way that suggests we endorse, sponsor, or are affiliated with something; or
• remove, hide, or alter any copyright notice, credit, or AI-authorship disclosure attached to our work.

We say yes to reasonable requests, and we are glad to be asked. Senior centers, libraries, caregiver groups, and community organizations are especially welcome — write to [email protected]. Permission counts only when we give it in writing; silence is not permission.

About our stories

Our Saturday Serial stories are works of fiction. The characters, families, towns, and events in them are invented, and any resemblance to real people, living or dead, is coincidental. Each story is developed by our team from an original story plan, drafted with the help of AI writing tools under our direction, and reviewed by a person before publication — every chapter carries a notice telling you so. We claim the human-authored elements of these works: the characters, their relationships and histories, the plot, the structure, and the selection and arrangement of the chapters. We do not claim exclusive rights in any portion that is purely machine-generated.

Rights we keep

Using GoldieCircle gives you a personal, limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to view and enjoy our content for your own non-commercial use. It does not transfer ownership of anything to you, and it grants no rights beyond those written above. All rights not expressly granted are reserved. If our work is used without permission, we may remove access, terminate the account involved, and pursue any remedy available to us under the law — including having the material taken down wherever it has been posted, using the process described under Copyright Complaints (DMCA) below.

If you believe something on GoldieCircle infringes your rights, that same section tells you how to reach us, and we act on every valid notice.

9.3 User-Generated Content License

By posting on GoldieCircle, you grant other users permission to:

• Read and learn from your shared experiences
• Reference your advice in their own posts (with attribution)
• Share your helpful posts within the platform

You do NOT grant permission for:

• Commercial use of your content
• Reproduction outside the platform
• Claiming your content as their own

Copyright Complaints (DMCA)

We respect intellectual-property rights and expect our users to do the same. If you believe content on GoldieCircle infringes your copyright, please send a written notice to our designated agent at [email protected] (subject line: “DMCA Notice”) that includes: (1) your physical or electronic signature; (2) identification of the copyrighted work you believe was infringed; (3) identification of the material you claim is infringing and where it is located on the platform; (4) your contact information; (5) a statement that you have a good-faith belief the use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and (6) a statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on the owner’s behalf. We respond to valid notices, may remove or disable the material, and may terminate the accounts of repeat infringers. If your material was removed and you believe that was a mistake, you may submit a counter-notice with the same information.

10. Privacy and Data

Your privacy is important to us. Our use of your personal information is governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

Key Points:

• We collect information you provide and usage data
• We use data to improve services and ensure safety
• We don’t sell your personal information to third parties
• You can request to view or delete your data
• See our Privacy Policy for complete details

10.1 Goldie AI Memory (What Goldie Remembers)

To make your conversations with Goldie (our AI helper) more helpful, Goldie keeps a short, running set of notes summarizing everyday things you have told it, so you do not have to repeat yourself. This feature is under your control. The following describes how it is designed to work; it does not create any guarantee of a particular result.

• What is kept: brief, plain-language summaries of general things you share (for example, a hobby, a pet’s name, a trip you are planning). Goldie is designed to leave out sensitive information — such as health or medical details, financial or payment information, account numbers, passwords, or other people’s personal information — and, when it detects that you may be sharing something like that, to gently let you know it is keeping it out of its memory. This is a design goal and a best effort, not a guarantee; automated systems are not perfect and may occasionally miss or misclassify information, so please do not share through Goldie anything you would want kept completely private.
• How long it is kept: by default, these summaries are kept for about 90 days after you last refer to them, and are then automatically deleted. You can change this (for example, 30 days, one year, or keeping them until you choose to delete them), or turn the feature off entirely, in your profile settings. Turning the feature off deletes your existing summaries.
• Where it is used: Goldie is designed to use these summaries only in your private, one-to-one conversations with Goldie. They are not shared with other members and are not used in public community rooms.
• Your controls: at any time, from your profile, you can view your summaries, delete individual items, delete everything, change how long they are kept, or turn the feature off. As summaries approach the end of their retention period, Goldie may let you know, so you can choose to keep them longer or let them expire.
• Storage: these summaries are stored in encrypted form. Please see our Privacy Policy for complete details on how we handle data, our security practices, and your rights, including any rights you may have to access or delete your information.

11. Peer Support vs. Professional Services

THIS IS CRITICAL – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

GoldieCircle publishes general information and facilitates peer-to-peer support. We are NOT:

• A licensed care provider or care agency
• A medical or mental health service provider
• A financial, legal, or benefits advisory service
• A government agency or official resource
• A substitute for professional care or advice
• An emergency service

11.1 Information on Our Platform

Everything on GoldieCircle — whether we wrote it, a Mentor wrote it, Goldie generated it, or another member posted it:

• Is general information only, and should not replace professional medical, legal, financial, or benefits advice
• May not be accurate, current, or applicable to your particular situation
• Should be checked against official sources before you act on it

Content posted by members additionally reflects their personal experiences and opinions. We do not verify it, and it does not represent the views of GoldieCircle.

Content we publish ourselves — our articles, guides, benefits information, magazine, and answers from Goldie — is prepared with care and reviewed or re-checked on a regular schedule, but it is still general information, not advice about your circumstances, and we do not warrant that it is free of errors or fully up to date.

11.2 Always Consult Qualified Professionals For:

• Medical: Diagnosis, treatment, medication, care plans (call doctor or 911)
• Mental Health: Depression, anxiety, crisis situations (call therapist or 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline)
• Legal: Legal matters, rights, representation (consult attorney)
• Financial: Investment decisions, complex financial planning (consult financial advisor)
• Benefits: Official benefit applications, eligibility determinations (contact SSA, Medicare, VA, etc.)
• Emergencies: ANY emergency situation (call 911 immediately)

11.3 Caregiver Medical Information

Information about caregiving techniques and medical care:

• Comes from personal caregiving experience
• Is NOT from medical professionals (unless explicitly stated)
• Should be verified with healthcare providers
• Cannot replace formal caregiver training
• May not be appropriate for your care recipient’s specific condition

12. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW:

GoldieCircle is provided “AS IS” without warranties of any kind. We do not guarantee:

• Accuracy, completeness, or reliability of user-generated content
• Accuracy, completeness, or currency of any information we publish, including benefits and program information, articles, guides, and directory listings
• Accuracy of anything produced by our AI features, including chat answers, summaries, eligibility screening results, translations, and read-aloud audio
• Uninterrupted or error-free service, or that content and audio will be available in every language at all times
• That the platform will meet your specific needs
• The behavior or qualifications of other users, advertisers, or merchants
• That advice or information will solve your particular problem

12.1 We Are Not Responsible For:

• Actions, advice, or information provided by other users
• Outcomes from applying advice or information from the community
• Benefits applications or determinations
• Care decisions made based on community information
• Disputes or interactions between users
• Outcomes resulting from connections made through our platform
• Loss or damage resulting from your use of the platform
• Third-party services mentioned by users or by us
• Products you buy from a merchant through a link on our site, and any dispute about payment, delivery, warranty, or returns
• Advertisers, sponsors, and the goods or services they offer
• Events or activities listed on our site, and anything that happens at them

12.2 Limitation of Damages

In no event shall GoldieCircle be liable for:

• Indirect, incidental, or consequential damages
• Loss of data, profits, or business opportunities
• Damages resulting from reliance on user-generated content
• Medical, legal, or financial outcomes
• Damages exceeding the amount you paid us (if any) in the past 12 months

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless GoldieCircle, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from:

• Your use of the platform
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any rights of another person
• Content you post or share
• Your interactions with other users
• Your reliance on information from the platform

14. Third-Party Links, Advertising, Sponsors and Affiliate Links

14.1 Links to Other Websites

GoldieCircle links to places we do not control — government benefit websites, healthcare resources, caregiver organizations, local service providers, event listings, retailers, and educational materials. Some of these links are shared by community members; others we publish ourselves.

• Linking to a website is not an endorsement of it, its owner, or anything it sells
• We are not responsible for third-party content, products, services, prices, availability, or privacy practices
• You use third-party websites and services at your own risk, under their terms, not ours
• Please verify the legitimacy of any external resource, especially any that asks you for money or personal information

14.2 Local Events and Listings

We show events, activities, and local services near you using information gathered from third-party sources. We do not organize, host, staff, inspect, or endorse these events, and we cannot guarantee that a listing is accurate, current, still happening, or suitable for you. Dates, prices, addresses, and accessibility details change without notice. Please confirm directly with the organizer before you travel, and use your own judgment about attending. Any ticket you buy is a transaction between you and the seller.

14.3 Advertising and Sponsors

GoldieCircle is supported in part by advertising, including paid placements from local businesses and organizations that want to reach our members.

• Advertisements are labeled, and are kept out of the middle of what you are reading and out of our games
• Premium members do not see advertisements
• An advertiser paying to appear on GoldieCircle is not an endorsement, recommendation, or vetting of that business by us. We do not verify advertisers’ licenses, credentials, insurance, or the quality or safety of what they offer
• Any dealing you have with an advertiser — including any purchase, contract, service, or in-person visit — is entirely between you and them. Please check credentials and references yourself, as you would with any business you found on your own
• We may decline or remove any advertisement at our discretion

14.4 Affiliate Links and Product Recommendations

Some links on GoldieCircle earn us money. We take part in affiliate programs — including the Amazon Associates Program — which means that if you follow certain product links and buy something, GoldieCircle may receive a commission from the seller. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

• You never pay more because of an affiliate link; the commission comes out of the seller’s side
• We label these links and disclose the relationship where they appear
• Prices, availability, discounts, and product details are set by the seller, change frequently, and may be out of date on our pages. The seller’s own listing is the accurate one
• The purchase, payment, delivery, warranty, and returns are handled entirely by the seller under their terms. We are not the seller, and we cannot resolve order problems on your behalf
• We do not test most products we mention, and a product appearing here is not a guarantee that it is safe or right for you. Nothing we say about a product is medical advice — check with a healthcare professional before relying on anything for a health need

Where a member has personally tried something and written about it, we say so and identify who wrote it. Where a discount or deal is offered, the terms and expiry are set by the merchant, and we cannot honor an offer that the merchant has withdrawn or changed.

14.5 We Are Not a Party to Your Purchase

When you follow a link from GoldieCircle and buy a product, book a stay, or sign up for a service, that transaction is solely between you and the seller. GoldieCircle is not the seller, manufacturer, importer, distributor, travel agent, insurer, or provider of anything reached through our links, and we are not the agent or representative of any merchant. We take no part in the transaction, hold no funds, and have no ability to cancel, refund, modify, or enforce it.

This means the seller — not GoldieCircle — is responsible for the description, price, quality, safety, fitness for your needs, legality, delivery, installation, servicing, warranty, refunds and returns of what you buy, and for their own privacy and data practices. Any claim you have about a purchase must be brought against that seller under their terms.

We do not monitor product recalls, safety notices, license status, insurance, or complaint histories for the merchants and products we link to. Please check the manufacturer, the seller, and official sources — for example, recalls.gov or the Consumer Product Safety Commission — before you rely on any product, especially anything used for mobility, medication, or personal safety.

14.6 Release

To the fullest extent permitted by law, and in addition to Section 12, you release GoldieCircle, its owners, officers, employees and contractors from any and all claims, demands, damages, costs and expenses of every kind — known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected — arising out of or in any way connected with a transaction between you and a third-party seller, merchant, advertiser, sponsor, service provider or event organizer reached through GoldieCircle. This includes claims about a product or service being defective, unsafe, misdescribed, undelivered, overcharged, or unsuitable for you.

If you are a California resident, you waive California Civil Code Section 1542, which says: “A general release does not extend to claims that the creditor or releasing party does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release and that, if known by him or her, would have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor or released party.” Residents of other states waive any comparable law.

Nothing in this section limits any right you cannot waive under applicable law, and nothing here is intended to disclaim liability for our own fraud, willful misconduct, or gross negligence.

14.7 Deals, Discounts and Savings Content

Our discount, deal and savings pages — including Goldie Savings, Goldie Discounts and Goldie Tried — gather offers from merchants, affiliate networks, and members. We do not set, fund, guarantee or honor any discount. Eligibility rules, senior-age thresholds, blackout dates, expiry, and whether a discount exists at all are decided by the merchant and can change or end without notice. Some senior discounts are unadvertised and must be asked for at the point of sale; we cannot guarantee any location will honor one. If an offer is wrong or expired, please tell us and we will correct or remove it, but we are not liable for an offer that a merchant declines to honor.

15. Modifications to Service

We reserve the right to:

• Add new features to GoldieCircle
• Modify existing features
• Discontinue features with notice
• Add, change, or discontinue community rooms and features
• Update community guidelines

We will notify users of material changes through:

• In-platform announcements
• Email notifications
• Updates to this Terms page

16. Termination

16.1 Your Rights

You may:

• Delete your account at any time through account settings
• Leave any community room at any time
• Stop using the platform at any time

16.2 Our Rights

We may:

• Suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms
• Remove content that violates community guidelines
• Remove users from community rooms for inappropriate behavior
• Discontinue the service with reasonable notice

16.3 Upon Termination:

• Your right to use the platform ends immediately
• We may delete your account data
• You lose access to community rooms and connections
• Provisions that should survive termination will remain in effect

17. Dispute Resolution

17.1 Informal Resolution

If you have a concern, please contact us first at [email protected]. We’ll work in good faith to resolve issues.

17.2 Arbitration

Any disputes not resolved informally shall be settled by binding arbitration in accordance with the American Arbitration Association’s rules. You waive your right to participate in class action lawsuits.

17.3 Exceptions

Either party may seek injunctive relief in court for intellectual property violations or to prevent actual or threatened harm.

17.4 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Maryland, USA, without regard to conflict of law principles.

18. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify users of material changes by:

• Posting a notice on our platform
• Sending an email to your registered address
• Updating the “Last Updated” date at the top

Continued use of GoldieCircle after changes constitutes acceptance of the new Terms.

19. General Provisions

Severability: If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect.

No Waiver: Our failure to enforce any right doesn’t waive that right.

Assignment: You may not transfer your rights under these Terms. We may assign our rights to a successor or affiliate.

Entire Agreement: These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and GoldieCircle.

Language: These Terms are provided in English. If translated, the English version controls.

Force Majeure: We are not responsible or liable for any failure or delay in providing GoldieCircle that is caused by events beyond our reasonable control — including outages or failures of the internet, hosting, cloud, or third-party service providers, power failures, natural disasters, epidemics, labor disputes, or government actions.

20. Special Provisions for Specific Use Cases

20.1 Veterans and VA Benefits

Information about VA benefits shared on the platform:

• Comes from veterans’ personal experiences
• Must be verified with VA.gov or your local VA office
• VA benefits rules change and vary by service history
• Contact a Veterans Service Organization (VSO) for application help

20.2 Medicare and Medicaid

Information about Medicare and Medicaid:

• Must be verified with official sources (Medicare.gov, your state Medicaid office)
• Eligibility rules are complex and individual
• Contact SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) for free counseling
• Don’t make coverage decisions based solely on community information

20.3 Caregiving for Dementia/Alzheimer’s

Special care considerations:

• Information shared is from personal experience
• Every case is different
• Follow care plans from neurologists and healthcare team
• Contact Alzheimer’s Association (800-272-3900) for professional resources
• Join our Caregiver Corner chatroom for peer support

20.4 Financial and Legal Matters

Estate planning, power of attorney, guardianship:

• Require consultation with licensed attorneys
• State laws vary significantly
• Community can share experiences but not legal advice
• Contact local legal aid or elder law attorneys

21. Payments, Subscriptions & Refunds

GoldieCircle offers a free account and an optional paid Premium membership, along with optional one-time token packs and voluntary donations. This section explains how paid features work.

21.1 Premium Membership and Pricing

Premium is a paid subscription billed monthly ($9.99/month) or annually ($79.99/year) at the prices posted at the time you subscribe. Prices are shown in U.S. dollars and may not include applicable taxes, which are added where required by law.

21.2 Free Trial

New Premium subscribers may be offered a free trial (currently 14 days). We do not charge you during the trial, and we aim to remind you before it ends. If you do not cancel before the trial ends, your paid subscription begins automatically and your payment method is charged.

Trials are limited per payment card. So that trials are not used repeatedly, a single payment card may start at most two free trials across all accounts — enough for two people in a household to each try Premium. If your card has already been used for two trials, we will tell you at the time, your Premium membership starts right away, and your card is charged the following day; you may cancel before then and pay nothing. We may also decline or shorten a trial where we reasonably believe the offer is being abused.

21.3 Automatic Renewal

Premium subscriptions renew automatically. Unless you cancel, your subscription renews at the end of each billing period (monthly or annually) and your payment method is charged the then-current price, until you cancel. By subscribing, you authorize GoldieCircle and its payment processor to charge these recurring fees.

21.4 Canceling

You may cancel at any time from your account settings or by contacting [email protected]. Cancellation stops future renewals; you keep Premium access through the end of the period you have already paid for. To avoid the next charge, cancel before your current period (or free trial) ends.

21.5 Refunds

Except where required by applicable law, subscription fees and token purchases are non-refundable, and we do not provide partial-period refunds for unused time. We honor the cancellation and refund rights that apply to you under your local law. If you believe you were charged in error, contact us and we will review it in good faith.

21.6 Token Packs

Token packs are optional one-time purchases of in-app credits used to access certain features. Tokens have no cash value, are non-refundable, are not transferable, and (under our current policy) do not expire. We may change the features tokens unlock, or their pricing, on a going-forward basis.

21.7 Donations

Donations to GoldieCircle are voluntary and non-refundable. Because GoldieCircle is a for-profit company, donations are not tax-deductible. See Section 1 (“Our Charitable Giving Commitment”) for how a portion of memberships and donations supports these causes.

21.8 Payment Processing, Failed Payments and Price Changes

Payments are handled by our third-party payment processor (Stripe); we do not store your full card number. You are responsible for keeping your payment information current. If a payment fails, we may suspend or downgrade your Premium access until it is resolved. We may change our prices from time to time and will give reasonable notice before a change affects your next renewal. Continuing your subscription after a price change takes effect means you accept the new price; if you do not agree, you may cancel before it applies.

22. Ask Goldie and AI-Assisted Features

Many GoldieCircle features use artificial intelligence — including “Ask Goldie” chat, the personalized eligibility check, answers and articles from our Goldie Mentors, AI-generated article summaries, read-aloud narration, translation of the site and of chatroom messages, the Document Helper, our Goldie Weekly magazine and its original stories, and automated content moderation. Please understand how they work.

Goldie is not a person. Goldie is a clearly-labeled AI helper. It is not a human being, not a licensed professional, and not a friend or companion in the way another member can be, and it will never claim otherwise. If what you need is a person, our Chatrooms and community are where you will find one — and in a crisis, please use the numbers in Section 22.3.

22.1 AI Responses May Be Wrong

AI responses are generated automatically and may be inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date. They are provided for general information and friendly support only. Always double-check anything important against official sources (for example, Medicare.gov or your state agency) and use your own judgment.

22.2 Not Professional Advice

Our AI features do not provide medical, legal, financial, insurance, or other licensed professional advice, and using them does not create a professional relationship. For decisions in those areas, please consult a qualified professional. This section works together with Section 4 (Benefits Information Disclaimer) and Section 11 (Peer Support vs. Professional Services).

22.3 Not for Emergencies

GoldieCircle and its AI features are not designed for emergencies and are not a substitute for emergency services. If you or someone else is in danger or experiencing a medical or mental-health crisis, call 911 (or, in the U.S., dial 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) right away.

22.4 Your Responsibility and Our Rights

You are responsible for how you use AI outputs, and you should not rely on them for important decisions without verifying. We may use AI to help moderate community content and to summarize conversations so Goldie can be more helpful (see our Privacy Policy and Section 10). We do not guarantee that AI features will always be available or accurate, and we may change or discontinue them at any time.

22.5 Translation and Read-Aloud

We offer the site, chatroom messages, articles, and the magazine in several languages, and we read them aloud with a synthetic voice. Both are produced automatically.

• Translations are machine-made and are not reviewed by a person. Meaning, tone, legal terms, and dollar figures can be rendered imperfectly. For anything that matters — a benefit rule, a deadline, a medical instruction, or these Terms — rely on the English original or on an official source in your language.
• These Terms are written in English. A translation is offered for convenience only; if the two differ, the English version governs (see Section 19).
• Read-aloud audio is a synthetic voice reading the text automatically. It may mispronounce names, numbers, or medical and legal terms. It is not a recording of a person, and no narrator is endorsing what is read.

22.6 Document Helper

The Document Helper lets you upload a letter or form and have it explained, translated, or read aloud. It is an automated reading aid, not a review by a lawyer, an accountant, a benefits counselor, or a doctor. It may misread a document or miss something important, including a deadline or a required response. Always read the original document yourself and, for anything consequential, have a qualified person look at it. Please see our Privacy Policy for how uploads are handled and how long they are kept.

23. Language and Translation

GoldieCircle is written and maintained in English. We offer the Service in other languages so that more members and families can use it comfortably. Those other-language versions are produced by automated machine translation, including third-party translation services, and are provided for your convenience only.

23.1 Translations May Be Wrong

Automated translation can be inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date, and meaning can change between languages. A word may be translated in the wrong sense, a number or date may be carried over incorrectly, and nuance or tone may be lost. We do not review every translated word before you see it, and we do not warrant the accuracy of any translation.

This applies across the Service, including but not limited to: translated web pages and menus; messages translated between members in our Chatrooms; responses from Ask Goldie and other AI-assisted features; benefits, discount and event information; our Goldie Weekly magazine; read-aloud narration; and documents you upload to the Document Helper.

23.2 The English Version Governs

If there is any conflict, ambiguity or difference in meaning between the English version and a translated version of these Terms, our Privacy Policy, or any other content on the Service, the English version governs and controls. Translated versions have no independent legal effect.

23.3 Use Translations at Your Own Risk

Please do not rely on an automated translation for an important decision. That includes anything involving your health, your money, your legal rights, immigration or housing status, benefits eligibility, or a deadline you must meet. For anything important, check the original English text, ask a trusted family member or friend, or contact the agency or professional directly. To the fullest extent permitted by law, GoldieCircle is not liable for any loss, missed deadline, or other harm arising from your reliance on an automated translation.

23.4 Documents You Upload

The Document Helper can read and explain a document in your language. This carries the same risk as above, and the stakes are often higher: official letters, notices and bills frequently contain dates, dollar amounts, case numbers and appeal deadlines. An explanation or translation produced by the Document Helper is not a certified translation and must not be submitted to any agency, court or insurer in place of the original. Always keep and rely on your original document.

23.5 Telling Us About a Bad Translation

If you see a translation that is wrong or confusing, please tell us at [email protected]. We correct the wording our own dictionary controls, and reports from members are one of the main ways we find these problems.

24. Contact Us

Questions about these Terms?

GoldieCircle Support Email: [email protected]
Website: https://goldiecircle.com/contact

Specific Concerns:

• Terms questions: [email protected]
• Privacy concerns: [email protected]
• Safety issues: [email protected]
• Benefits information: [email protected]

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Important Reminders

✅ GoldieCircle IS: A community where seniors and caregivers help each other, plus articles, a magazine, games, and AI-assisted tools we provide to help you find your way

❌ GoldieCircle IS NOT: A government agency, a licensed professional, or a substitute for medical, legal, financial, or benefits counseling

✅ Use for: Sharing experiences, getting peer support, finding community, learning what programs exist and where to apply

❌ Don’t rely solely on for: Medical decisions, legal matters, financial planning, or official benefits determinations — our eligibility check is a starting point, never the answer

✅ Remember: Goldie is a clearly-labeled AI helper, not a person. Some links earn us a commission. Premium is ad-free. Verify important information with official sources and professionals.

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By using GoldieCircle, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service.

Thank you for being part of our community! Together, we’re creating a supportive space where seniors and caregivers can help one another thrive.

GoldieCircle: Seniors and Caregivers Helping Seniors and Caregivers