What color scheme is best for mom with Alzheimer's?

I was sold on the white phone with black letters because it made perfect sense with the way media is presented, until I read cwillie. Her eyesight is poor from the Alzheimer's. Your suggestion to show her both is a great idea. Thank you all for your help. As always, just knowing I am not alone, and that you are all out there for me, helps make these days a little easier.

You mention she has poor eyesight, the choice depends on exactly what is going on with her eyes as many with low vision do better with white on black. Can you purchase both and return one? Or perhaps present her with a printed sample of both kinds of typeface to see which one she can see best?

Eyerishlass, I would agree with the white phone and black letters. Even back 60 some years ago with the black telephones, the numbers where also black but the background the numbers sat on were white. Something that many of those with memory problems could relate to.

I remember back when my aging parents bought a new microwave, the old one was white with black letters and Mom had no problems. Their new microwave was black with white letters and Mom had to use a small flashlight in order to see the letters. That great sale on that microwave didn't really turn out to be so great :P

My idea isn't scientific in the least but I'm thinking about all the newspapers which are white with black letters. Magazines, white with black letters. Books too. Stationary and notes, white with dark ink. I'd go with a white phone with black letters.