Cell phone in assisted living/memory care protocol?

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Kblanchat74 Asked February 2021

Cell phone in assisted living/memory care protocol?

My mom has advanced dementia and is moving into assisted living in 2 weeks - they said she didn’t need memory care. I’m giving it time (a week or two) before they advance her care level. She currently has a cell phone but doesn’t use it much other than obsessively looking at something (but uses zero data in a month). I’m honestly concerned she will lose the phone or dial 911 to report the place for stealing her stuff (she has done that to me). Take the phone? Turn off cell and leave it with her? What is the protocol here?

Alzheimer's & Dementia Assisted Living Care Decisions

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score 0 · Answer 1

Rather than a cell phone, have you thought about getting an EchoShow? We moved my mother to assisted living/memory care almost two weeks ago, and it is working out great for us. Using the Amazon Alexa App, we can "drop in" and talk with her - she didn't have to learn to do anything but look at the camera.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=202138870

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This post is from February and OP has not been back.

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score 0 · Answer 2

First, my Mom was 5 minutes up the road so I visited her everyday, even if only for 15 minutes. She never could use a cell and had forgotten how to use a landline phone so I decided she didn't need anything. I could always call the desk and check on her.

If she doesn't really use it, don't take it with her. See what happens, out of sight out of mind.

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score 0 · Answer 3

Can she have a land line in her room so that at least you can call in to her? That's what we have for my MIL who has short-term memory impairment.

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score 1 · Answer 4

I am very surprised that with what you describe as advanced dementia the move is NOT to memory care.
Any phone that is charged, active or not can be used to dial 911. So inactivating the phone if it is charged she may well call 911.
If you can take the phone without causing undue distress that might be best. Or have the staff help her “lose” the phone. Probably not a difficult thing to do in a facility setting😉.

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Cell phone in assisted living/memory care protocol?

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