Phones for Elderly
Discussion
There seems to be a few advertised but I have bought several and none really are good enough.
Requirement no 1 is big buttons, 2 loud ringer, 3 no confusing setup buttons around the call and cancel buttons, big flashing light would be good too.
don't need cameras, radios, torches, organizers...
just bought a easyfone a5 of amazon, but not even opening it as it is going back, it is to small
Requirement no 1 is big buttons, 2 loud ringer, 3 no confusing setup buttons around the call and cancel buttons, big flashing light would be good too.
don't need cameras, radios, torches, organizers...
just bought a easyfone a5 of amazon, but not even opening it as it is going back, it is to small
I bought my 85 year old mum one of these and she has been fine with it for a couple of years - www.doro.com/en-gb/shop/mobile-devices/easy-phones...
The only issue is it is only 2G not a 3G phone, but that wasn't an issue as I set her up with a legacy O2 Classic PAYG sim for cheap calls (although discontinued you still seem to be able to get them on eBay).
The only issue is it is only 2G not a 3G phone, but that wasn't an issue as I set her up with a legacy O2 Classic PAYG sim for cheap calls (although discontinued you still seem to be able to get them on eBay).
How about something like this
https://www.coopersofstortford.co.uk/ondial-easy-m...
There's a smartphone version of it on the site also.
https://www.coopersofstortford.co.uk/ondial-easy-m...
There's a smartphone version of it on the site also.
- Edited to add it looks quite similar to the link the poster above linked to.
Edited by Radec on Friday 21st August 18:45
Have a a look at some of the Doro clam-shell phones. Some have SOS buttons and red lights on the outside. They answer a call when you open them and end the call when you close. The keyboards are generally bigger then the bar phones. The batteries can last over a week with light use. One of the older ones I've worked with goes very loud both for ringing and the earpiece. Binatone seen to do some as well but I've got no experience with those. Another option is basic smart phone with a dialler app for 'seniors'. You can set such apps up so the phone is locked to a simple interface with preset tiles for a small number of contacts and an answer button. Everything else is hidden and the app starts when the phone starts.
Edit. Have realised that I have played with a Binatone phone. Its a M405 clam-shell with SOS button, waning light on outside, loud both ringing and earpiece, reads out digits as you dial, 3 presets, reasonably clear display and the battery lasts for ages. Have also worked with a Doro PhoneEasy 612 clam-shell (probably discontinued) which is good also and a 98yo manages with fine. The angled when open design on both these phones naturally presents itself to the ear and mouth like a conventional house phone which helps the user to keep the phone in the right position which I've sometimes found to be a problem with elderly relatives.
Edit. Have realised that I have played with a Binatone phone. Its a M405 clam-shell with SOS button, waning light on outside, loud both ringing and earpiece, reads out digits as you dial, 3 presets, reasonably clear display and the battery lasts for ages. Have also worked with a Doro PhoneEasy 612 clam-shell (probably discontinued) which is good also and a 98yo manages with fine. The angled when open design on both these phones naturally presents itself to the ear and mouth like a conventional house phone which helps the user to keep the phone in the right position which I've sometimes found to be a problem with elderly relatives.
Edited by Ydnaroo on Friday 21st August 20:32
I bought a TT Phone for my wife, who has difficulty with her hands and is a technophobe.
It's NOT a smart phone. But it has big buttons and it lives in a charger cradle so all she has to do is pick it up on the way out. The one we chose is a clamshell type, so she just opens it to answer, no fiddling with buttons, and when shut there's no chance of 'handbag calling'.
https://www.ttfone.com/mobile.html
It's NOT a smart phone. But it has big buttons and it lives in a charger cradle so all she has to do is pick it up on the way out. The one we chose is a clamshell type, so she just opens it to answer, no fiddling with buttons, and when shut there's no chance of 'handbag calling'.
https://www.ttfone.com/mobile.html
Paul Drawmer said:
...when shut there's no chance of 'handbag calling'.
Good point. I've also remembered that with the 4 or so clam-shell phones I set up that if you press the wrong button and end up somewhere you don't want to be, closing and opening the phone takes you back to the 'home' screen.mgsontour said:
Don't do it, most of them just turn them off when their not using them
This. My mum has a big button Doro. It is permanently off unless she wants to call someone. She tries not to use it (no matter how much I tell her she has about 200 free minutes every month), so of course regularly forgets how to switch it on. She has no qualms about asking random strangers for help, so someone usually manages to get it going for her. Have to say that phones and the elderly rarely go well together.
One of my siblings works in an office were the boss is in their 80's and refuses to retire and hand over the reigns, they had an app on their £1k+ iPhone that they couldn't get rid of.
Instead of asking someone and googling how to delete it they got out a bottle of Tipex and covered it up, leaving a wee white square on the f
king screen.
One of my siblings works in an office were the boss is in their 80's and refuses to retire and hand over the reigns, they had an app on their £1k+ iPhone that they couldn't get rid of.
Instead of asking someone and googling how to delete it they got out a bottle of Tipex and covered it up, leaving a wee white square on the f
king screen.Well I'm elderly, with an old mobile phone from Virgin (I think it's a Nokia 1200) which I've had for above 10 years, and I was entirely happy with it until a few days ago. I was able to make/receive telephone calls, and send/receive text messages, which is about all it does, and I have no interest in any additional capabilities. So far so good.
Now I find that Virgin have sent me a new sim card and, being a complete technophobe myself, I asked my son to see if could install the new sim card and get the phone working again. Now he's pretty clued up about computer related gadgetry, but after spending many hours trying to sort it out we've ground to a halt with it. He fitted the new sim card and briefly got the phone working - making a call to his own landline, calling my mobile from his landline, and he sent a text message to my wife, which she received OK. He then switched the phone off, but when he tried using it the following day, it didn't work. I now have the phone back but when I switch it on I merely get the message 'sim card registration failed' - or words to that effect.
So, unless this can be sorted out quickly it looks as if I shall need to start hunting for another phone - something cheap and simple, on a 'pay as you go' basis - from somebody other than Virgin!
Now I find that Virgin have sent me a new sim card and, being a complete technophobe myself, I asked my son to see if could install the new sim card and get the phone working again. Now he's pretty clued up about computer related gadgetry, but after spending many hours trying to sort it out we've ground to a halt with it. He fitted the new sim card and briefly got the phone working - making a call to his own landline, calling my mobile from his landline, and he sent a text message to my wife, which she received OK. He then switched the phone off, but when he tried using it the following day, it didn't work. I now have the phone back but when I switch it on I merely get the message 'sim card registration failed' - or words to that effect.
So, unless this can be sorted out quickly it looks as if I shall need to start hunting for another phone - something cheap and simple, on a 'pay as you go' basis - from somebody other than Virgin!
EarlofDrift said:
Have to say that phones and the elderly rarely go well together.
One of my siblings works in an office were the boss is in their 80's and refuses to retire and hand over the reigns, they had an app on their £1k+ iPhone that they couldn't get rid of.
Instead of asking someone and googling how to delete it they got out a bottle of Tipex and covered it up, leaving a wee white square on the fking screen.
This made me laugh, sad really but it is funny.One of my siblings works in an office were the boss is in their 80's and refuses to retire and hand over the reigns, they had an app on their £1k+ iPhone that they couldn't get rid of.
Instead of asking someone and googling how to delete it they got out a bottle of Tipex and covered it up, leaving a wee white square on the f
king screen.p1esk said:
Well I'm elderly, with an old mobile phone from Virgin (I think it's a Nokia 1200) which I've had for above 10 years, and I was entirely happy with it until a few days ago. I was able to make/receive telephone calls, and send/receive text messages, which is about all it does, and I have no interest in any additional capabilities. So far so good.
Now I find that Virgin have sent me a new sim card and, being a complete technophobe myself, I asked my son to see if could install the new sim card and get the phone working again. Now he's pretty clued up about computer related gadgetry, but after spending many hours trying to sort it out we've ground to a halt with it. He fitted the new sim card and briefly got the phone working - making a call to his own landline, calling my mobile from his landline, and he sent a text message to my wife, which she received OK. He then switched the phone off, but when he tried using it the following day, it didn't work. I now have the phone back but when I switch it on I merely get the message 'sim card registration failed' - or words to that effect.
So, unless this can be sorted out quickly it looks as if I shall need to start hunting for another phone - something cheap and simple, on a 'pay as you go' basis - from somebody other than Virgin!
Ask Virgin for a replacement SIM card! If it worked once it should work although the SIM card or the phone might be damaged.Now I find that Virgin have sent me a new sim card and, being a complete technophobe myself, I asked my son to see if could install the new sim card and get the phone working again. Now he's pretty clued up about computer related gadgetry, but after spending many hours trying to sort it out we've ground to a halt with it. He fitted the new sim card and briefly got the phone working - making a call to his own landline, calling my mobile from his landline, and he sent a text message to my wife, which she received OK. He then switched the phone off, but when he tried using it the following day, it didn't work. I now have the phone back but when I switch it on I merely get the message 'sim card registration failed' - or words to that effect.
So, unless this can be sorted out quickly it looks as if I shall need to start hunting for another phone - something cheap and simple, on a 'pay as you go' basis - from somebody other than Virgin!
I broke my Nokia changing SIM cards
My mother had a sliding Samsung for years but it is her fading eye sight which is causing most of the problems .
EarlofDrift said:
Have to say that phones and the elderly rarely go well together.
One of my siblings works in an office were the boss is in their 80's and refuses to retire and hand over the reigns, .......
One of my siblings works in an office were the boss is in their 80's and refuses to retire and hand over the reigns, .......
mgsontour said:
Don't do it, most of them just turn them off when their not using them
Sy1441 said:
Your after a Doro.
But they can probably spell properly! 
Edited by CanAm on Thursday 27th August 17:24
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