Does anyone have suggestions on assisting with parent having phone issues? I suspect it is more than all the phones are bad
She has been through 4 different phones in last 6 months. She will purchase one and can’t use it. “It calls wrong people”. It won’t ring, she can’t hear it, can’t find it. She is getting my sister and I to call people for her.
Your profile says your mom has some cognitive issues so anything regarding technology will never stop being a challenge to her and a black hole of time-waste for you. I do understand that a phone she can manage greatly helps the caregiving situation and one has been recommended. Please just have tempered expectations that your mom is losing (not even maintaining) her abilities to learn new things. There may come a point where a phone will just be a waste of money and time. Just saying this so that you don't exhaust yourselves chasing after something that can no longer be. I wish you success in managing this challenge!
No advice. Phone issues here as well. My mom says she dropped her phone, so the contacts are messed up. She texts everyone (strangers too I think ?) at all hours. Looks at websites all night and so on. Wish we could take it away, but there would be heck to pay!
TeleCalm. Programmable phone made for people with dementia. It looks like a tabletop phone, with 10 great big buttons to press. You program in the numbers of 10 people--the phone only allows calls from and to the people you decide on. Then you put someone's name or picture in the slot in front of each button. Mom presses #1 and reaches you. Mom presses #2 and reaches brother.
Some issues: Multiple cords between phone, box, and wall. Cords don't always stay plugged in very well.
There doesn't seem to be any way for people to leave messages. Or maybe I just haven't figured it out.
You can program in more than 10 people, but then mom would have to press more than one button for the 11th person, the 12th person, etc. Too complex for my mother so we didn't even try.
There comes a point when anything is too complex. When the phone rings, my mother answers with "hello" as usual, but then she immediately forgets that she was answering the phone and thinks that she is trying to make a call herself, and starts pressing buttons!
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Some issues:
Multiple cords between phone, box, and wall. Cords don't always stay plugged in very well.
There doesn't seem to be any way for people to leave messages. Or maybe I just haven't figured it out.
You can program in more than 10 people, but then mom would have to press more than one button for the 11th person, the 12th person, etc. Too complex for my mother so we didn't even try.
There comes a point when anything is too complex. When the phone rings, my mother answers with "hello" as usual, but then she immediately forgets that she was answering the phone and thinks that she is trying to make a call herself, and starts pressing buttons!