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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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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