My dad is in long term care after a stroke. He does not have use of the left side (and his right is not that coordinated) but his mind is good and he likes being able to talk on the phone. We got him a Jitterbug, but the simplest flip phone is hard for him to open with one hand, and we have had a microphone problem with two phones in a row now. The big buttons and simple screen are good features for him though -- are there any alternatives? Or is Jitterbug the only senior phone available?
Mother lives in brother's home. He decided to go "all cell phone" for everyone in the family. Mother has what is considered the "best" cellphone for Srs....nope, she just can't use it! Can't answer it, can't call...nothing. One of the kids programmed the #'s in that she'd need and she still cannot seem to remember the "gentle touch and swipe" use of these devices. Gets a call and has a meltdown trying to answer.
She begged me to talk brother into reinstalling her landline. I guess he refused, and I can't override him on this b/c their internet, etc is all bundled with a major company and only he can make changes.
Also, one thing I've noticed--mother's eyesight is not great, and she always has sticky or dirty fingers--so her glasses, her phone, her TV's are all covered in guck. The touch screen will not work if you are trying to maneuver through gunk. I always clean her glasses and her TV's (I don't know why she has to touch those screens!) and her phone.
I love my landline. It ALWAYS works, The clarity and such are great, Personally, I know the world of high tech beyond my grasp, and I do have and use a smartphone, but we will always have a landline.
Cell phones are horrid for so many elderly people. My mom sometimes forget to charge it, and then when she charges it, it's still powered off. She can see the big buttons but can't read the tiny text on the screen. And to get the volume loud enough for her to hear means loud for the people around her. I can't imagine midkid's mom having to deal with a touchscreen.
Here is what I did....
AT&T was able to give my Mom what they call 'wifi landline.' With this set up, Mom can have her regular cordless phone in her room at the nursing home with the addition of a wifi modem AT&T will send you, at the same cost of a cell phone! No one has to go connect it and charge you for that as it is easy to do yourself.
Previously, her landline was around $45 only with local calls. Her cell phone was $20 with calling all domestic numbers except Alaska, Hawaii and some US islands.
Now, the 'wifi landline' is the exact cost as the cell phone was!
No more problems with turned off cell, forgetting to charge cell, losing cell, and me having to go almost everyday to resolve the issue.
She is happy now to have returned to her well-known "landline."
Check it out with AT&T....WIFI LANDLINE.
PS: Insist on speaking to a supervisor if the customer service person does not know what you are talking about. I shared this miracle with a friend for her Mom who is also at the nursing home, and it took her 3 calls to AT&T before someone was able to know about this new system.
See All Answers