Mobile phone for an 80-year-old technophobe

[KennyVader]

Has anyone any experience of buying a mobile phone for an 80 year old that isn't all that technically comfortable?

I need to find something for my neighbour really just for him to use in emergencies, to easily call me up etc.

I suppose it needs
- to be really simple to use, programmable "hot keys" would be good (i.e. hold down 2 to call Kenny), but also simple to turn on and off, and dial numbers that aren't in the memory.
- no fancy radio/camera/bluetooth etc
- nice big easy buttons, and on/off button
- to be reliable
- to have long battery life, e.g. I have a Nokia 6210 that goes two weeks between charging even on the standard battery, but I still use it so can't give him that
- to be cheap as chips, pay as you go sim, and handset either cheap from a shop or off ebay

Has anyone already done this sort of research into the best mobile for an elderly relative etc?

Thanks!

[Phoenixetta]

Nokia. Nokias are the most simple phone in the world. My mother can barely find the "on" switch on a computer but she can use her Nokia! They're also fairly robust to being dropped etc.

You can get one for about £40 (try amazon for the 3120), no fancy gadgets but they're very easy to use and not bad looking. Buttons are clear, on/off switch is easy, mine have NEVER let me down (my mother now has my first phone from 2000 and uses it daily). Battery life is about a week depending on how much you use it.

[simion_levi]

Probably want a Nokia 1100 - monochrome screen, change the char size to 'big' and set up speed dials for him.


£19.97 delivered from Tescomobile (http://www.thedvdforums.com/jump2.php?url=http://tracker.tradedoubler.com/pan/TrackerServlet?p=898&a=60823&g=19972&url=http://www.tescomobile.com/pay-as-you-go/tesco-mobile/nokia/1100/tescopp/?campaign=google&kw=nokia+1100). My knowledge is a long way from current on PAYG I'm afraid, but have vauge idea that the Tesco Value tariff is dirt cheap for the very occasional user - no need for an O2 300txt PAYG SIM in this instance, for example.

[Menu]

Nokia. Nokias are the most simple phone in the world. My mother can barely find the "on" switch on a computer but she can use her Nokia! They're also fairly robust to being dropped etc.

You can get one for about £40 (try amazon for the 3120), no fancy gadgets but they're very easy to use and not bad looking. Buttons are clear, on/off switch is easy, mine have NEVER let me down (my mother now has my first phone from 2000 and uses it daily). Battery life is about a week depending on how much you use it.


I have just stopped using a 3120 because I could not see the buttons or the screen very well :) If you have good eye sight I'm sure it's fine but not for me.

I just wanted a basic phone that was easy to see and use and went for the Nokia 6030 which I'm very please with. (It's £40 in Tesco's if you spend £40 or more on food or £40 with orange inc del direct.)

[mattyp]

Agreed, Nokia is incredibly simple and intuitive. Just go for the cheapest Nokia with buttons that are big enough.

[Richie]

Like this? Vodafone Simply
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4566809.stm
http://www.vodafone.com/section_article/0,3035,CATEGORY_ID%253D504%2526LANGUAGE_ID%253D0%2526CONTENT_ID%253D247821,00.html
http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewHandsetDetails&action=getHandsetDetails&contract_type=PAYT&productID=308&itemSKU=PTSA20&wt_oss=vodaphone%20simply

[Phoenixetta]

I have just stopped using a 3120 because I could not see the buttons or the screen very well :) If you have good eye sight I'm sure it's fine but not for me.

I can see your point about the buttons actually but the screen is fine so long as you don't put a colored background on IMO. The 3120 is fairly small for a cheap Nokia though - most other Nokias in that price range are bigger.

[Menu]

I can see your point about the buttons actually but the screen is fine so long as you don't put a colored background on IMO. The 3120 is fairly small for a cheap Nokia though - most other Nokias in that price range are bigger.


It's a nice phone, don't get me wrong :) It's the standard issue at my place of work and I think most people are happy with them :thumbs:

It was just me that had a problem seeing it, but I do have very poor vision in one eye, so just bought my own and use their sim in it. :)

[Dan]

http://www.zen82603.zen.co.uk/forums4/big_phone.jpg

[horny toad]

Has anyone any experience of buying a mobile phone for an 80 year old that isn't all that technically comfortable?

I need to find something for my neighbour really just for him to use in emergencies, to easily call me up etc.

Has anyone already done this sort of research into the best mobile for an elderly relative

http://www.silverphone.co.uk

[KennyVader]

Thanks for the ideas. Got several models to chase up. Like the idea of that silverphone ... having dealt with my elderly neighbour I can really see the need for something that simple.

[Phoenixetta]

Obviously a mobile is probably more functionable in this instance but you could also try getting one of those alarms which go around your neck. If your neighbour were to fall, he could just press the button. It goes through to a call centre who then contact the contact number they have been given. The good part about this is if they cannot get through to a contact they then call the emergency services. It has worked well for my grandmother on several occasions when she's fallen down and been unable to get back up.

[KennyVader]

Obviously a mobile is probably more functionable in this instance but you could also try getting one of those alarms which go around your neck. If your neighbour were to fall, he could just press the button. It goes through to a call centre who then contact the contact number they have been given. The good part about this is if they cannot get through to a contact they then call the emergency services. It has worked well for my grandmother on several occasions when she's fallen down and been unable to get back up.

So they would phone me on my mobile and tell me he pushed the button and I should go check it out? That sounds good. I thought you could only get that sort of alarm when it was wired in to the building at places like care homes or sheltered housing that had a warden to follow up alarm calls. I will look into that.

Trouble is my neighbour keeps telling me he wishes he could hurry up and die, every time I go see him!

[jaboker]

How about this? The Link (http://www.thedvdforums.com/jump2.php?url=http://tracker.tradedoubler.com/click?p=1470&a=60823&g=35293)

[Phoenixetta]

So they would phone me on my mobile and tell me he pushed the button and I should go check it out? That sounds good. I thought you could only get that sort of alarm when it was wired in to the building at places like care homes or sheltered housing that had a warden to follow up alarm calls. I will look into that.

Trouble is my neighbour keeps telling me he wishes he could hurry up and die, every time I go see him!

Yup. My grandmother has one - they call my Aunt when it goes off. She's pressed it accidently a few times but no harm done. I think if the wearer has a landline they call the landline first to check whether it's a false alarm - obviously if they answer and tell the operator they're OK there's no need to take it any further. As I say, my grandmother's fallen a couple of times and being elderly has been unable to get back up and both times her emergency contact has been notified and went around to help (luckily no harm done).

AFAIK my grandmother got hers direct from BT. It's been a big weight off of our mind since she got one (she's trouble!!).

[camaj]

Probably want a Nokia 1100 - monochrome screen, change the char size to 'big' and set up speed dials for him.

Sainsbury's are doing the 1110 which is almost identical (no torch, 4 way arrow key) but it looks almost the same, fairly big numbers (for a mobile) and a splashproof cover. £20 with £5 airtime thrown in

[anguk]

You could ask your local council if they have a Careline service. Most seem to have some sort of elderly alarm system and you don't have to live in sheltered housing etc. or have it wired up with pull-cords, you can have a unit connected to your phone line and a pendant.

Some councils install it free, others charge £10-20 installation and there's also a small fee of £2-3 a week or it may be free depending on your circumstances.

Have a look on your local councils website to see if they offer the service.

[Holden Caulfield]

A £5 bag of 10 p coins and a map of the local phone boxes.

Job done :)

[N00N00]

I am looking at getting a technophone relative of mine an Easy5 mobile phone:

http://mobile.brando.com.hk/EASY5.php

5 buttons for 5 numbers. Just need to see if it unlocked or not. Costs £130 here but seems to be much cheaper in Europe.

that silverphone sites sells it - did anyone buy one?

[N00N00]

Done some research on teh easy5 and it doesn't seem to be possible to lock the keypad - maybe it is just a bit too simple. Are there any good kids phones out there which would be slightly more advanced?

[KennyVader]

I am looking at getting a technophone relative of mine an Easy5 mobile phone:

http://mobile.brando.com.hk/EASY5.php

5 buttons for 5 numbers. Just need to see if it unlocked or not. Costs £130 here but seems to be much cheaper in Europe.

that silverphone sites sells it - did anyone buy one?

I did not go for that one for my elderly neighbour. It's on the right lines but the problem with that phone is its patronising looks - it looks like something that Fisher Price or Tomy made, and he would be embarrassed to pull it out in front of his pensioner mates. The guy is not simple, just hasn't kept up with the way technology generally operates.

I did get him one of the low end and simple Nokias, and whilst it's been fairly successful, two things confuse him: the "joystick" button (he just doesn't "get" that it is like four buttons with different directions depending on which edge of the button you press); and the "soft keys" below the screen - depending on what the phone is doing, they change function, and he doesn't understand how one button can do different things (even though the label changes on screen). Sounds silly not to understand these things but I guess they are just completely alien concepts that he has not seen before; after all his microwave and TV remote etc, are all strictly "one function per button".

What would do the job perfectly would be like the old Nokias you could press and hold one of the number buttons and it would just dial whatever was stored in that memory! But none of the cheap Nokias seem to have this super simple feature any more :doh: . So I am getting around to seeing if I can get an older model off eBay or something, that does have press-and-hold speed dials, simple green and red call / end call buttons, and a decent clear display. Soon as I get some time ... there has to be something basic out there.

[N00N00]

I am now looking at getting them the firefly - it's a kids phone but seems to do the job. Looks live I've got to import it from the states. :(

http://www.fireflymobile.com/

The flashing lights might be annoying but I guess at least they won't miss a call. :lol:

[blender]

get a flip phone for an old person as its far more intuitive to hang up and answer