Cell phone suggestions?

We got Mom a Jitterbug, now called Great Call. They have several types of phones from a simple one with 3 programmable buttons to their version of a smart phone. The basic one we got had large buttons and we were able to program the phone list on line as well as on the phone. Voice mail was optional. Rates were very reasonable.

There are phones for landlines that can be programmed for auto-dialing numbers. The problem with cell phones is they disappear and they have to be charged.

Contact your mom's phone company. They have special phones free to customers with disabilities. My mom was hard of hearing and had macular degeneration, so AT&T gave her a phone with gigantic numbers and multiple ways to amplify the sound.

The only caveat is to have a normal phone elsewhere in the house, because the one they gave my mother, while push button operated, dialed like an old dial phone, so it didn't work in scenarios where you had to push buttons for menu items. ("Press 1 for English" and such.) It wasn't an issue for my mother because she couldn't make those types of calls anyway, but my dad had a regular rechargeable phone two feet away to use for regular purposes.

Mom has a cell phone she is incapable of using. And it's the simplest thing ever. Just a large letter than she needs to touch to make a call. The person's name is in smallish letters under the initial. Still--even as simple as this is--and I don't think you could MAKE it easier, she cannot make calls, and struggles to answer any.

She lives with YB who refuses to re-install the landline. IDK why, he won't explain himself.

Part of the issue with older folks is the swiping motion that must be employed--something a 2 yo can do with great ease, but seems impossible for a 90 yo. She puts her finger down and 'drags' it. We've all showed her dozens of times and she simply--can't. Dialing individual numbers is impossible for her.

Also the factor that her screen is always dirty and you have to have a clean screen to get the phone to work. Again--we can only do so much. Any time anyone visits her we clean the screen---but that only lasts a day or so.

She has the phone that AARP says is 'best' for seniors, but I guess there's a point at which they just cannot learn a new skill. I sympathize--my techie DH is always upgrading my phone to the point I have so many apps and stuff on it--and I just want to have GPS and the safety of being able to be in touch.

Wish brother would re-instate the landline. Mom asks me to ask him and I told her I will not be a part of her triangulating situations to get what she wants. She can ask him!

We recently switched to a cellphone when my grandma moved in with us. She enjoys having it but can barely use it. We started with a flip phone and she destroyed the plug in by jamming any charger into it. She could never hear or figure out how to use it. We replaced it with the simplest Samsung smartphone. It seems to be quite a bit easier than the flip phone but it still confuses her. If she had the money I would probably go with the simplest iPhone- Apple is still the most intuitive it seems.

susieq1216, do not remove the landline. Knowing how to use a landline is deeply engraved in your Mom's mind. She could easily dial 911 after she picks up the receiver and places it on whatever the phone is sitting on with no problems, and 911 is able to know her location as her address or the address of the facility will show up on the dispatcher's screen.

With a cellphone, the dispatcher may only get the closest tower beep, unless the cellphone has some type of GPS locator.

Plus with a landline, one can place a phone in every room. I recently bought several new large screen and large button landlines for under $40 each. No more wondering where on earth did I leave my cellphone.

And when a landline rings, so simple to pick up the receiver, instead of digging around looking for the cellphone and wondering how to answer it. Example, on my flip-phone to answer a call I need to press "Send", like who's bright idea was that??? And cells/flips are hard to hear on, landlines are so much clearer.

Whatever you do, keep it simple.

Contact an occupational therapist who will come to the home ,evaluate and teach how to use an
appropriate phone.

I would think that a landline would give you more options as to what physical phones you plug into the wall. Would she be offended by one of the big button phones that let you put photos on the contact buttons?

Using a cell phone with only one hand and without voice commands doesn't sound ideal. A flip phone would need to be opened and the buttons and screen would be pretty small. Try visualizing where she would use the phone and how she would hold it, touch the buttons, and select contacts.

Some kind of cell phone holder might help. If it has wireless charging, she won't have to plug in the little cable. She could need several: bedroom, living room, etc.

How does she do when she tries to use your smart phone if you have one? Can she prop it up in a convenient position, open the app, and get to the favorites list, and touch the one she wants?

If she has trouble with incoming calls from family and isn't overly concerned about privacy, an Alexa with drop in set up properly could be a good backup.

Keep the Landline.
Get a phone that will automatically dial 911 with the press of one button.
Pre-program the phone to dial a certain person (also with the press of a button. 🆘
See phones large buttons for Seniors. (Landlines).
I have just called GreatCall, (out of desperation), a company who sells Jitterbug for Seniors. These are Alcatel phones. If I have that right. When I owned a flip phone by Jitterbug two years ago, it was a rickety piece of equipment. (Alcatel) Customer Service would not send a new phone. So I cancelled.

It may work for some people, but here was my most recent experience:

Asking, do you have the new models of Samsung just released? (evades answer). (lying).
States that Alcatel is in the family of Samsung. (lying).
She asks if I have the model number of Samsung I am looking for.
I answer, "No, I would need to look it up".
She says: "Well, look it up then". Flippant.
I say that "I would have to go into the living room to get my computer".
She says, rather demanding: "Well, get up and go into the living room."
I tell her I am not going to go look that up right now.

I ask if I am talking to Greatcall, the Jitterbug company, for seniors.
She says, yes, I know you are a senior, we only sell to seniors.
She finally admits that "No", it is not a Samsung phone. Tells how great the Alcatel phone is. (I know different but do not say). The carrier is Sprint, she says.

Get her call back number and name. Tell her I will look up the new Samsung phones.

A family member insists that I "jump into the 21st Century and get an I-Phone".
It is $1,000 +, and she says, "Well, what do you think I paid?" "It is only one time, and you will never need to buy another phone".

"Hello, h e l l o ??" "I think my phone is breaking up, I will call you back."

So I am looking for a large, easy-to-learn-and-use Android cell phone without a contract. And without having to buy a phone card and reload every month.
I may try Costco in person when Covid restrictions are lifted.

I suggest you loan your Mom a cell phone for a week, and see if she can learn to use it. 📵

I need a cell phone to receive text on the Instacart App when they have questions. Or, do I? Maybe I can do without technology.

At her age not sure she will be able to use a cell phone. Maybe one of those flip phones by Consumer? I would call your phone service and see if there is something available to make things easier for her because she needs a phone.