We are trying to work out a way for my mother in law to visit her son in FL while we go away this winter for a couple weeks.
She has a Lifeline help necklace and a land line phone in her apt. now. My brother in law (her son) has no land-line - and you need a land-line in order to use the Lifeline necklace.
My question: Would a Jitterbug cell phone be a reasonable alternative? She is NOT very tech savvy and even has trouble with her TV remote at least once a week. Are they difficult to use? She is 88.
I see on Amazon that they sell them for $69 and sell a lanyard (so you can wear it around your neck) for another $5. But the Amazon site does not mention how to activate it.
I checked the Greatcall site and am wondering if this would be better. Cost a bit more. Must you sign a contract for 2 years? Can we purchase a ONE MONTH plan? I doubt she will use the phone except while she is in FL.
I see on the site that some use it instead of Lifeline - but I am afraid she would not want to have a 4 oz. phone hanging around her neck all the time or while she in in bed and especially while showering - so we feel the Lifeline is still the way to go here at home.
We just want her to be able to call her son or 911 if necessary while she is in Florida. He (and his daughter who is in college) will check on her during the day and be with her evenings and weekends.
If anyone has any suggestions for this - do reply. This trip could - and probably will - fall through - but I would like to check this out 'just in case' he comes through for us.
thanks all.............
So, we will just have to work out another complicated visit/call list with our friends and children looking in on her, visiting her, sharing meals with her and calling her while we are gone. We did this once before. It requires a LOT of coordination and cooperation - but at least we can COUNT ON them to come through for us.
We just thought that since it has been 3 years since she saw her son that he might be willing to have her come for extended visit - guess we were wrong. Kinda sad to think of it that way. But, that's the way it is and it is that way for many, many on this forum.
All for now :)
She deals with chronic dehydration - due to not wanting to drink too much because of her incontinence. This is an ongoing problem and results in several bladder infections a year (sometimes resulting in ER visits). She also has facial neuralgia that is getting worse and that results in a couple of ER visits a year - sometimes more. She just got over cellulitis - and spent 2 weeks in hospital and now she is receiving PT twice a week and seems stronger.
She can now care for her personal needs and I do the cooking, cleaning, meds, shopping, bills, etc.
thanks everyone.
My brother in law does not have a land line - so she cannot take her Lifeline console with her - it would not work. I already called them about that when she went 3 years ago. Basically, my brother in law and his daughters just checked on her 2-3 times a day and she did ok. Their home is all on one floor - no steps and we sent down all her assistive devices.
She can stay alone for a time right now - but we feel she would benefit from a nice visit with her son :0) There were times when she could not be left at all - those were the rough years.
Do we SERIOUSLY believe he will come through and take his mom? No. But, we keep asking. I don't know why. We asked the other two sibs to contribute equally with us for a new TV for their mom. It took months for them to come through with $150. I think everyone can get the picture. There is no way in the world that either of them would fork over enough to cover paid help for their mother. No way. We have mom and they don't and they are just fine with that. :0(
Thanks everyone.
I have a friend who had a responsible office position before she retired and had used a cell phone. She now has dementia related to her MS and she cannot figure out how to talk on a cell phone even with someone else placing the call and holding it for her. She does fine on a land line.
Oldcodger, you know your MIL. You'll have to judge whether she would be able to use a cell phone on her own. You will also have to judge whether it would be safe for her to remain on her own in unfamiliar surroundings. Her son hasn't been with her in her present state and he cannot be expected to make appropriate plans on his own.
I really, really hope that she can spend some time with her son.