Cell Phones That Seniors Flip For
Seniors
deserve products that cater to their needs, and cell phones are no
different. Anyone buying any product would consider its practicality
and usability. Seniors approach the purchase of a mobile phone the same
way. Fortunately, cell phone manufacturers are dialed in to what
seniors are looking for in this product.
 Most
seniors in the market for a mobile phone appreciate the simplicity of
the phone they choose. A phone with more bells and whistles is not
likely to make it home with a senior. The seniors of today did not have
the benefit of computers and cell phones during their working years.
Therefore, they are not as comfortable using these devices as the
seniors of tomorrow will be. Any senior, even those tuned in with
technology, will need some level of assistance such as adapted mobile
phone features to make up for their compromised senses.
According to Pew
Research Center, 77 percent of seniors said that landlines
were a necessity, versus 29 percent who said the same of wireless
phones. Yet eMarketer,
an internet marketing research company, approximates that almost 70
percent of Americans ages 65 and older own a mobile phone this year,
versus 75.5 percent of the population overall (see graph). That is an
impressive number given that this technology is somewhat new for the
senior generation. As baby boomers age into the senior ranks, this
number is expected to increase, especially because they were introduced
to this technology at an earlier age.
Saved by
the Alarm Button
Source: www.dorousa.us
Last
spring, our father fell in the middle of the night on his way to the
bathroom. He called my brother, who in turn called the ambulance. Dad
returned home from the hospital after a probable mini-stroke and was
active, healthy, and living on his own. Worried he would fall
again, we bought him a cell phone with an alarm button to make us all
feel more secure.
It turned out to be his savior. Six months
later, he had a stroke. He couldn’t read the numbers on his regular
phone, but he remembered to push the alarm button on his cell phone,
which alerted my brother. After a long recovery, he now takes his cell
with him whenever he goes out.
Dad is now 75 and active, and
we are all grateful for his cell phone with an alarm button. It gives
him the security to be able to leave his apartment, and it gives us
comfort that he is always one push of a button away from help. |
The top cell phone
features that seniors naturally scrutinize are the display and the
buttons. The display needs to be easy to read which means it needs to
be a larger size, and the brightness of the display needs to be
appropriate so a senior’s eyes can easily see the numbers on the
screen. The size of the buttons also deserves a good look. The larger
the buttons, typically the easier the phone is to use. Both speak to
how simple it is to see everything.
Volume of the ringtone
and earpiece are also important phone attributes for seniors. While
both features are adjustable on most phones, phones made just for
seniors have higher volume options, making the phone ring louder and
the voice coming through the phone easier to hear.
Unique
mobile phone features that may assist caregivers and seniors are a GPS
(global positioning system) and a panic button. Mobile phones can
transmit a GPS signal that pinpoints the location of the person
carrying the phone within a few feet, and some phones even show a road
map and aerial photo of the locale. These characteristics can help
caregivers quickly find lost or disoriented seniors. The panic button
is another safeguard that can protect seniors and give caregivers peace
of mind. Seniors simply push the panic button to instantly summon help.
The Wherifone GPS Locator Phone by
Wherify Wireless is an example of an effective senior-focused cell
phone that includes the aforementioned features.
Before
choosing a mobile phone, think about which attributes are important.
This may mean getting familiar with cell phones and their available
features, then determining what is most important to you from that list
of features.
Helpful
tips for buying cell phones
Source:
www.cellphonesforseniors.biz
Tip 1 – Functionality –
Consider which functions you need in a phone. Keep it as simple as
possible. What will you use your phone for? Calling? Texting? Internet
searching?
Tip
2 – Size of the phone – The size of the actual phone
should be large enough to hold comfortably.
Tip
3 – Screen – Make sure the screen is big enough to see
clearly.
Tip
4 – Buttons – The button size should be large enough to
see and to use easily.
Tip
5 – Volume – Are the ringtone and earpiece volumes
adjustable? Do they get loud enough to hear them well?
Tip
6 – Phone Lock/Unlock
– How the phone locks and unlocks is important for people with
arthritis. Normally, to lock or unlock a phone, a person has to press a
series of buttons. A flip-style phone may be a better option because
the phone unlocks as soon as it is flipped open.
Making the Call – Finding the
Right Phone for You Many
mainstream manufacturers carry phones for seniors or with features that
are useful for seniors. Some popular phone models for seniors are:
Jitterbug
Click on the image below to see a video of the Jitterbug phone in
action.
- A “clam” or flip design
- Large buttons and keypad
- Bluetooth, Caller ID and
speakerphone
- Simple text messaging
- Custom designed by Samsung
Doro
Click on the image below to see a
video of the Doro phone in
action.
- Large buttons and keypad
- Large, simple-to-read display
- Extra loud handset volume
- Emergency notification
Just5
Click
on the image below to see a video of the Just5 phone in
action.
- Huge buttons
- Easy operation
- Amplified sound
- Long lasting battery
- SOS feature allows for a
pre-programmed number to be dialed in an emergency
While
people who become seniors in the coming years will be more tech savvy
and open to engaging new technologies than past generations of seniors,
nothing changes the fact that seniors still need cell phones that align
with their physical abilities and situations. Phones that offer
caregivers some peace of mind are also a welcome addition to the mobile
phone family. The senior industry is grateful that cell phone
manufacturers are heeding the call of the senior masses and producing
senior-friendly phones.
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