Mobile phone for my 84 yr old Gran.

[Adampy]

Hi, not sure if this is the correct category.
I want to buy a mobile phone for my gran. She is 84. Reason is, she recently had a bad fall and hit her face on the pavement. My gran says it took about 20 minutes before anyone helped her. I really worry about her going out. I am looking for a phone that is REALLY easy to use and has fairly large buttons so she can call for help herself.

Thanks in advance.

[Quizmonster]

If you can wait, there is a model called an S-phone due out here by the autumn. It was created in Japan specifically for old people. All it does is make and receive calls...no photos, no texting, no e-mail etc etc etc. Just great big buttons from 0 - 9. I'm planning to get one myself!

[Adampy]

That sounds perfect. Will it be advertised? I appreciate your response.

[woofgang]

Adampy what a nice person you are. If you can't wait till autumn, here are a couple of websites for advice

http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/commerce/servlet/gben-server-PageServer?ARTICLE=STATIC.SPECIALNEEDS.SNHOME

http://www.tiresias.org/guidelines/mobile.htm

[Adampy]

Thanks Woofgang, aprreciate your help, The 3410 on that site was actually one I was looking at. Many thanks for your help!!

[Quizmonster]

Click http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1487395,00.html for a web-page all about the S-phone, Adampy.

[heatherglen]

Wouldn't it be better if she had an alarm, which you wear on your wrist or round your neck which would be linked to a central point?

[Robinia]

Good for you Adampy  - I hope that you poor gran is ok now. 

 I was going to suggest the alarm too - maybe if you gave your local Help the Aged or Age Concern office a call they could help you to sort something out. 

QM the S-phone sounds perfect for my neighbour, great idea!

[Robinia]

Now I've thought about it I suppose the alarms are only useful when you are at your home address, not much help if you are out & about.  Maybe both would be a good idea.

[Quizmonster]

The problem with alarms is the pride some old people - and quite rightly, of course - still have. After my mother, in her mid-nineties, had set hers off twice by accident, thus "inconveniencing" people, as she saw it, she threw it on top of the wardrobe...from whence she knew she'd never be able to get it back! Mind you, she'd probably have done exactly the same thing with a mobile phone!

[diwali]

Try a personal response service (see http://www.otworks.com/otworks_print_page.asp?pageid=721)

It's simple and effective .... but an awful lot of seniors refuse to use them. I have no idea why. When I'm one (a senior) I shall wear mine with pride!

[flaming]

Whatever s got for your gran she has got to be prepared to use it.  I urge her to try the Age Concern pendant worn round the neck. A mobile coulld have dropped and broke during that fall, or unscrupulous people could run off with the phone!  A pendant woudn't show under a coat and scarf and is always handy. Also someone injured or in shock might not manage the little buttons on the phone.  A final thought is that the emergency services migt not show for ages - not getting all the right details for instance, whereas a press on the worn pendant gets through to professionals who (I imagine) get someone quickly to the right place.  If she lives alone it could be invaluable at home. The cost per month is probably what a phone plan would cost.