Dad rarely travelled outside of a 10 mile radius of his home. The one or two times each year that he needed to go farther, he would enlist someone to drive with him. So, I never pressed the issue of getting a cell phone for emergencies.
When I showed him my newest phone, he dismissed it saying,” The buttons are too small. I can’t read that screen. I’m hard of hearing, you know!”
Then came the accident.
Dad was driving back from the car dealership, took a wrong turn onto the New Jersey Turnpike, got lost and tried to find his way back through a neighborhood he had never seen before. Peering sideways to read the street signs, he veered into a parked car. Crash!!
My father was a very lucky man. The owners of the parked car were looking out their kitchen window when it happened. They rushed to help him.
He climbed out of his car, shaken, but not injured. At first, the police thought he was drunk. When my father told the police he was a diabetic and could not drink, they worried that his blood sugar was too low.
Eventually, Dad convinced them that he didn’t need an ambulance, just someone to take care of his car and give him a ride home. Those good samaritans who witnessed the accident called someone to take care of the car. The car repairman took my Dad home.
My father waited for several days before telling me about the accident. He knew before I said a word that I would urge him to give up driving. He did stop driving shortly after that incident. It had scared him that much!
It scared me, too. What if nobody had been around to help?
I wish that my Dad had had a Jitterbug phone.
Jitterbug cell phones are designed to be easy to use with big, back-lit buttons, large text, and a powerful speaker for loud, clear conversations.
What makes the Jitterbug phone perfect for seniors is the live, 24 hour operator service. The operators will make calls for you, assist you with finding a phone number from a directory or add names to your phone list. (5 minutes are deducted from your minutes for each operator assist.)
The best part is there are no contracts and no long distance roaming fees. You choose the plan that’s right for you (as low as $10 per month.) You can even share minutes with another family member.
If your parent likes to go out and about but you worry, get your parent this phone for the holidays or any gift giving occasion. The price of the phone is very modest – $147. The peace of mind for a caregiver is priceless.
To learn more about the Jitterbug phone and service plans, click here.
photo courtesy of GreatCall, Inc.
on Dec 16th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
Question
My Dad is 84 years old. He has Dementia and has wandered away a couple of times. I believe my dad would use this phone. And also I could call him. Would this phone be recommended? I noticed on the information that an operator assists. My concern is that, I wouldn’s want an operator to become impatient with him.
Thank you, Kay
on Dec 17th, 2007 at 3:20 pm
You ask a very good question. I talked to Jitterbug customer service about it.
The Jitterbug service has customers between the ages of 55 and 100. And, in addition to the phone with the big buttons, they offer a phone that has only three buttons — “Operator”, “Personalized” (preprogrammed with one number) and “911″. The operator can help the customer access additional phone numbers. This phone is called “One Touch”.
The company says that operators are caring and patient. The woman I spoke with was very gracious and helpful. The operators will greet the senior by name (using caller ID technology) They are expecting the senior to be able to explain what he needs.
If your father has your phone number (or another close family member) programmed into the phone, he can push that button first. He would use the operator button if you can’t be reached.
You are in the best position to judge whether your father is capable of explaining to the operator what he needs. The phone does not have GPS, so they can’t tell the location he is at. He would have to tell them.
It can be very upsetting to suddenly find yourself lost. If your father gets flustered or upset to the point that he can’t communicate, the operator may not be able to help.
Verizon Wireless offers several cell phones with “Chaperone Parent/Child” GPS service. The parent can “see” where the child phone is on a specially equipped phone, on the Chaperone website or by getting a text message alert.
The Verizon phones cost less than the Jitterbug but require a two year contract. There is an additional fee for the Chaperone service. If this sounds like a better option, you could go to a Verizon Wireless store in your area and try out phones with your father to see if any will work for him.
Other phone carriers may have similar programs. I’ll be doing more research on this and post it on my blog.
Thanks for asking a great question!
on Dec 28th, 2007 at 12:26 am
Unfortunately, Jitterbug does not understand their demographics. The elderly and handicap expect quality and customer service/support. Jitterbug provides poor service and support — especially for their price.
Do your research first — quality goes along way! (especially w/the elderly — plus, WE are not as inept as people believe.
on Dec 29th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
Thanks for your comment.
My experience with other phones and companies has been really poor. My 84 year old father would never have been able to get through the automated systems on any of them with his hearing problems. He even had trouble with On Star in his GM car, too.
Certainly, every situation is different and you need to find the best solution for your particular needs.
If you are happy with your phone company and phone, let me know. I’d like to tell all our readers about it.
CKWilde