Appropriate Cellphone Plans for Senior Citizens

Seniors need special phones for emergency and communication purposes. While the right handset is important for a senior’s use, the appropriate plan or coverage is just as essential. A senior citizen will have specific needs and uses for a cell phone, so it is important to consider these in determining the right cell phone plan for a senior’s use. The following are some pointers to keep in mind:

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Getting a Cell Phone Plan for Seniors

Getting a cell phone plan for your senior loved one is not as easy as it may seem. Unlike other services, you may be obliged to enter into a contract, which could last up to three years, depending on the service provider and the type of plan you’re getting. Before entering into a long term contract, therefore, you must make sure the plan meets the communication needs of the senior.

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A Guide to Cellphone Plans for Seniors

Most of today's mobile phone packages factor in download minutes to cater to users who love to download apps, mp3s, and other files to their phones. However, such a feature is something that many seniors do not need. With the high costs of cell phone subscriptions these days, seniors do not have to pay for a feature that they won't likely use anyway.

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Choosing Cellphones for an Elderly Loved One

No matter how often smartphone technology churns in a new feature, you have no problem keeping up because you've always been a techie. Unfortunately, this is not the same for your grandmother. Your beloved grandma's eyesight has been on decline for years, and now, she can't even tell the difference between numbers and letters on her current cellphone's keypad, much less know how to take advantage of the latest cell phone features.

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Safety for Seniors

Given the chance, most seniors would rather age in their homes than move to retirement facilities. After all, why leave behind a house filled with a life’s worth of memories? Their children, on the other hand, are right to worry about them given their advanced age. Fortunately, there are things you can do to ensure that they remain safe even while they live independently:

Simple Home Modifications

Things you used to take for granted can become real hazards now that your parents are older—take stairs for example, which can become slip and fall hazards. To prevent such accidents, you can install additional lighting (preferably automated) and handrails on both sides of the stairs.

Guard Against Crimes

The elderly are easy targets for criminals, so make sure that the doors in your parents’ home have sturdy deadbolts that can’t be easily pried. Furthermore, consider installing a burglar alarm to alert authorities of attempted break-ins.

Cellphones for Safety

Some cellphone models have emergency monitoring services built into them. When your parents have medical emergencies or if they feel threatened, they simply press a button and a response agent will call 911 for them.

People say that life is cyclical, and this may indeed be true. In the same way your parents use to fret about you when you were young, you now find yourself worrying about your parents’ well-being in return. Hopefully, the tips about will help alleviate the anxieties you have.

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The Vital Features any Emergency Phone Should have

Whether you have to leave your 78-year-old Mom alone or with her assigned carer, it is important to instill a sense of security even if you’re not with her – something to assure you that she’ll be able to call for help when needed. Fortunately, cell phones designed for users like senior citizens are already in the market.

Before picking out a phone for your elder, know the most critical features a senior citizen-specific phone should have:

• Large Keypads. Impressive as touchpads are, they are not always needed in mobile phones. This is especially true when you take into consideration the fact that seniors will be the ones using the cellphone. Remember, their fingers may no longer be as nimble as they were, and so could not navigate touchpads as smoothly as you would. Also, make sure their phone has a one-click function. The point is to find a phone that’s most ergonomic for them so they won’t have to expend much-needed energy unnecessarily so.
• Battery life. The phone’s battery should endure longer time periods, even days at a time. In the event that there’s a power outage and your senior Mom needs aid, she can reach for her phone without the fear of it running on empty.
• Wide Network Coverage. The main purpose of the mobile phone is to establish communication easier. If coverage is faulty, then the device only defeats that very purpose. To confirm this, you can ask for assistance from your provider.

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Choosing a Cellphone Plan for Seniors

Just because you’re moving far from your elderly parents (or they might be the ones moving), it shouldn’t mean that you have to lose communication. There are after all, a wide variety of cellphones designed especially for comfortable and practical use by senior citizens. When you buy them a phone though, don’t forget to take the plan into consideration. Here are some tips for choosing phone plans for seniors:

Type of Service

You should choose a cellphone plan based on the frequency by which it will be used. Some plans, for instance, have rates that vary depending on the time of the calls. If you typically are on the phone with your elderly folks throughout the day, therefore, and only sparsely at night, choose a service that offers affordable day rates.

Company

Next, look into plan providers – each one will vary in the quality of service that they could offer you based on location (since certain providers might have better signal in one community compared to another). You should know your home calling area and compare provider roaming rates for when the calls come from outside the area.

Contract

It’s important for you to know the length of your plan’s contract, and whether or not there’s a “break free” clause that you could make use of in case you want to opt out of the plan in the middle of your contract period. Some companies provide this option, but with a hefty termination fee.

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Integrating Technology into Senior Citizens’ Lives

The trope has always been that a huge percent of seniors aren’t tech-savvy by any standards, and that some even fear or detest using mobile phones or computers. However, this doesn’t have to be true for the elderly members of your family – with enough attention and some patience (both on your part and that of your elderly loved ones), you can eventually help them reap the benefits that technology could offer them.

Stay Positive

Always show them modern technology in a positive light. Show how they can type with a computer more efficiently than they could a typewriter; tell them about the convenience of reaching out to your family members through Facebook or email. With this positivity, you can give them the impression that modern tech is not something that they should shy away from.

The Right Guide

Admit it, you may know more about computers than your elders, but that doesn’t make you an expert. In case they ask you something and you’re not that confident of your ability to answer it, just be honest and instead show them how to get the right answer from credible sources online. It should also be a great way to exemplify just how useful the Internet is.

The Right Tech

With innovations like special cell phones for seniors, these provide a nice little package that not only gets them more familiar with modern technology, but also gives you better peace of mind knowing that they’re just one phone call away. You should also look into getting these for your elderly loved ones.

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Keeping in Touch with the Elderly

Regardless of whether your elderly loved ones are in a home, or in their own place with a stay-in caregiver, there’s barely any reason not to keep in touch with them. In today’s modern times, you barely have any excuse, either. Cell phones for seniors for one, are increasingly becoming a popular gadget. 

Phone
 

Giving them a handy cell phone for senior citizens is a simple but excellent way to keep in touch even if you don’t do web chats or talk via snail mail. More than being a connectivity tool, many phones such as those offered by reputable distributors of phones for seniors also have built-in security services that they can use. 

Family Visits 
 

Sure, they would surely love to see you visit them even if you’re alone, but why not have the wife and kids tag along, too? This will make your elderly loved ones feel that they still hold a very special part in your family. You might also want to keep this a regular thing, maybe once or twice a month – so that your elderly parents will always have something nice to look forward to. 

Letters and Photos 
 

You can also share with your parents those special moments that your family celebrates by sending pictures and maybe even some postcards. This will let them know that you always think about them.

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Condition-Specific Cell Phone Features for Seniors

These days, mobile phones or gadgets are not just for the “young ones”. In fact, there are already a number of cell phone manufacturers that are producing phone models fit for use by your elderly loved ones. Nevertheless, when shopping for one, you should consider the particular condition that you think hinders your family member most, and look for features that can make the phone extremely useful to him. 

Hearing Problems 

Many phone distributors have efficient phones for the elderly that come with hearing aid compatibility, or at least a loud enough speaker. This is an especially useful feature for seniors who prefer to call instead of sending text messages (which can be a bother if they’re suffering from failing eyesight as well). 

Impaired Vision 

The foremost thing that you should look for in a phone for someone with poor eyesight is a large screen with easy-to-see characters. It should also be in a simple design, preferably with contrasting colors, so that they could easily see (without squinting) the characters they’re typing or the number they’re dialing.

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Can Cell Phones Promote Senior Independent Living?

The world’s population is aging, and along with this comes the task of having to care for senior members of a family which, unless they all live in the same house, can be a pretty stressful task for many. Thankfully, technology like cell phones for seniors are beginning to shape up to help the elderly manage life at home even when they’re alone. 

The elderly population always strive to maintain maximum independence in living. Some would even opt to live in a nursing or retirement home so that their family would not need to provide hands-on care for them. Then, there are also those who stay at home and prefer self-care. 

When it comes to phones for seniors, easy, transparent terms, and affordable plan costs are ideal. Carriers offer services at fixed coverage terms such as the limit in the call minutes to be used. For seniors who do not use their cellular phones often, much savings are paired with such budget-friendly phone plans. 

Whether it be for day-to-day usage or in times of emergency, purchasing reliable cell phone plans for senior citizens is important for your older loved ones. With these plans, they can become comfortable with the technology they own, and are ready for emergencies.

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On Technology and Senior Emergency Care

Technological advancement has evolved in such a way that it encompasses most aspects of one’s daily life, and thankfully, even your elderly loved ones aren’t left behind. From efficient cell phones that seniors can easily use without a lot of fuss, to those with one-click or one-button emergency dial, senior citizens’ health can now be much more closely monitored. 

Senior cell phones for one come in handy especially in emergency situations. With the advantage of modern telecommunication, those who might find an elderly in a dire instance can efficiently help out. 

Aside from this, other methods can be employed to ensure senior citizen safety. When it can be afforded, it is highly recommended for the elderly to be accompanied by a responsible individual at all times. If not, equip the elderly with emergency kits including standard first-aid tools and their maintenance medications. 

The traditional medical tags or bracelets can be acquired especially for seniors with serious conditions, such as seizure disorders, heart disease, or diabetes. Allergies to medications and special notes like metal implants to avoid MRI mishaps can be printed in the medical bracelet as well. 

Alert systems can also be employed. Many phone companies catering to seniors offer specialized cell phones for the elderly with a built-in SOS button to transmit emergency signals to relatives or responders.

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Why the Elderly Will Need Cell Phones of Their Own

The landmark generation of baby boomers, those born from 1946-1964, are starting to enter their golden years. This means that a lot of these citizens are eventually going to be exposed to the perks and drawbacks of being a senior citizen, and one of the greatest threats a senior from the boom generation will experience is the reality of being alone.

Technologies like computers and mobile phones are going to help the growing number of elderly people a lot. These devices allow senior citizens to keep in touch with friends and family members who are living miles away from them. It helps fight the loneliness that seniors will inevitably experience in this stage of their lives. It will also help them in their time of need. Senior citizens’ risk of sustaining injuries and falls become much greater due to their age, and a simple slip can become risky. Fortunately, a specialized cell phone for seniors can help an elder living alone to call for help immediately, often with just a press of an emergency or SOS button.

Acquiring and integrating technology to the lives of the baby boomer generation will be of great benefit to the seniors and their loved ones. Those who cherish their elderly relatives will want to acquire specially-made phones for them to stay in touch at all times.

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Old Dogs and New Tricks: Phones for the Elderly

Current research has shown that citizens aged 65 and above are slowly adapting to the digital age, with a third of them subscribed to a form of social media such as Facebook and Twitter. More than three-fourths of people aged 66-74 have cellular phones, keeping them connected to their loved ones.

It is important to note that the early Baby Boomers of the 1960s are approaching their golden years, if not already, and there is bound to be an influx of retirees within the next couple of years. The importance of a healthy aging process for these seniors has never been more pressing.

Cellular phones that are specifically designed for seniors can do a lot for the rapidly growing age group. Seniors with cellular phones can help them keep in touch with people that matter, helping them fight isolation and consequent depression. Such gadgets can also make making appointments with the doctor and calling on other relevant services a lot easier than before.

Good cell phones for seniors can do a lot to keep seniors active and happy. There are now phones made especially for seniors, featuring easy-to-use interfaces and clearly visible graphics. Such devices are perfect for maintaining precious communication between the elderly and the rest of their families.

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Keep in (Mobile) Touch with Your Elderly Loved One

Multiple studies have shown that communication is very important for senior citizens as it allows them to maintain the relationships they cherish the most and stave off depression. This piece of information is important because many senior citizens live in areas that are quite far from their children and grandchildren. In an effort to close the distance between families and their elderly loved ones, many cell phone manufacturers have begun to offer reliable senior citizen cell phone plans.

Although you may be tempted to purchase a brand new smartphone with all the latest apps, surveys have shown that senior citizens prefer mobile phones that are simple and easy to use. After all, these senior citizens are looking to use their cell phones as a phone and not as gaming consoles or cameras. Fortunately, there are many affordable cell phone plans for seniors that cater to the wants and needs of the elderly, featuring phones with ergonomic designs such as larger keys and simpler interfaces for maximum convenience.

This holiday season, consider getting your elderly loved one a cell phone specially designed for his or her needs. After purchasing a senior cell phone, be sure to drop a line every now and then to see how they’re doing – a simple way to show how much you truly care.

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Modern Senior: On Phones for the Elderly

Understandably, elders may find it a bit challenging to use modern smartphones that younger folks use on a daily basis. Not only is there a gap in terms of understanding the technological functions, the practical, ergonomic features also tend to be not senior-friendly. Fortunately, manufacturers have taken notice of the discrepancy in the mobile phone industry’s target market profiles, and so have risen to the challenge of providing a unit that can best suit the needs of elderly users.

Large Print

There are specialized cell phones for seniors that feature big buttons, to help them send that text message faster. Those big screens, too, should help them read better the messages that are sent to them. Getting a big button senior cell phone may not look all that cool, but for seniors, it should prove to be a lot of help.

Warning System

As seniors are prone to encountering a variety of emergencies, they will need a phone that provides a warning system or an “SOS button”, allowing them to contact family and relatives in case they need immediate help or assistance.

The best part about seniors having their own cell phone is that it allows them to communicate with their loved ones. That said, be sure to call your retired parents or even your dear grandparents every now and then to see how they’re doing and to chat for a bit. They’ll surely appreciate your love and concern.

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Keeping in Touch with Your Senior Loved Ones

Today’s fast-paced lifestyle entails focusing on your career. After all, you need it to secure the future of your family. Consequently, your parents tend to fall behind on your list of priorities.

It can get lonely in the days of retirement. Chances are, your parents are thinking of you since they have a lot of time for reflection. Surprise them with a heartfelt conversation over the phone. If you don’t have the time, you can send them a text message to either ask them how they are or give them an update on the little successes of your family members.

It is this need to keep in touch that make cell phones for seniors a wonderful gadget. They provide seniors with an easy way to communicate with their families and friends, however physically apart they may be. In the same manner, their children are assured that they can reach their senior parents at any time, and continue to monitor their condition, particularly if they have health issues. Cell phones for seniors do not have to be anything fancy, but they do need to be especially designed to address their physical limitations.

Even if your career takes up majority of your time, make the effort to reach out to your parents. A call or a text message goes a long way to let them know that you care and they still have a special place in your heart. 

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Cool “Nanatech” Gadgets for Seniors

Seniors are leading increasingly independent lives due to various advances in science and technology. However, with the rising cost of hospital care and the current labor shortage among caregivers, seniors will need to invest in tech gadgets designed to reinforce independent living.

Known as “nanatech” gadgets, some of the latest products wouldn't be out of place in a science fiction short story: glowing caps for pill bottles that remind seniors to take their medications at the right times, fax machines that convert handwritten letters into emails, and utilitarian cell phones designed to be used by seniors.

Cell phones designed for seniors, unlike regular cell phones and smart phones, have big buttons and numbers, and have easy to read full color screens. Those who are hard of hearing need not worry, as these cell phones typically have enhanced volume and speaker functions, and are hearing aid compatible. Aside from providing nationwide coverage, many cell phones designed for seniors also carry affordable cellular plans, including roll over minutes that won't expire; and a special SOS button that seniors can activate for immediate emergency assistance.

Nanatech gadgets are great not only for seniors who are living independently, but also for their caregivers. Four out of five caregivers in the United States are family or friends, and one out of five family caregivers live more than an hour away. By investing in nanatech gadgets, both family caregivers and seniors can enjoy greater peace of mind. 

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