Find Senior Care (City or Zip)
Join Now Log In
O
OmgWhatNow Asked October 2014

How can I get my grandma to understand that she can't call me all day, everyday?

Oh my god my grandma won't stop calling me all day everyday!! I've even disabled voicemail because she racks up minutes telling me to call her back. She doesn't even leave me messages!! Just Call me back.

Finally, after three hours of the phone ringing nonstop I picked it up and told her I was at work and to please stop calling. I would see her later today. She says okay and we hang up. Doesn't she try to call me three times right after that? I almost want to change my number!! She doesn't seem to understand the rules about only calling me once. I have other people that need to reach me too. What else can I do???

freqflyer Oct 2014
Veronica, I agree similar when it comes to food... my parents eat a lot of sweets, neither parent is overweight.... so I decided there is no need to go about changing their diets, as they are doing something right being 93 and going on 97 next week :)

Veronica91 Oct 2014
I hate cigarettes, never been able to stand the smell of smoke. It does cause lung cancer and many other diseases. Won't stay in the same room with someone who is smoking. however at the end of life I certainly would not and have not deprived someone of the pleasure of smokimg. patients in a NH of course should be supervised, have a seperate lounge with extractor fans designated for this purpose or taken outside. Lots of people will disagree with me but residents of a nursing home are beyond the need to do everything that's 'good for them" I certainly would not allow them custody of cigarettes and lighters, no one wants the place to burn down. But it is important to remember this is their final home.

ADVERTISEMENT


Sodonewithsal1 Oct 2014
Cigarettes cause lung cancer, and second-hand smoke makes people who are around smokers sick. Don't buy granny cigarettes. They're not a nice little treat that old people deserve.

freqflyer Oct 2014
OmgWhatNow, I was reading some of your past postings, going back 2 years.... oh my gosh, here you are only in your 20's and you are dealing with elder care so early in your life. You need some big hugs {{hugs}}.

littletonway Oct 2014
Just put the phone on vibrate. Tell Grandma you will call before you come over so she doesn't have to call you. Then do not answer the phone but do call her every day. She will get the idea.

Chicago1954 Oct 2014
Yours is not an unusual problem. Can you put the phone on vibrate and not answer it? But, I see she is then, using your minutes. I understand your frustration. My mother did the same thing to my sister. Mother can't hear now, so it has stopped. She is 95.

anonymous158299 Oct 2014
i think its wrong to deprive her of tobacco . i look at the aged faces at ednas nh and all i see is a wealth of wisdom and life experience . i wouldnt think of telling one of them what i think is best for them .

OmgWhatNow Oct 2014
I don't have a home number, but I was thinking about the idea of just taking the cellphone so that she would HAVE to use the lanline. Thanks for your input, guys. By the way, the visit with her tonight went well. I like visiting her, I just wish she wouldn't call so much lmao

geewiz Oct 2014
You might try deleting your number from her contact list! OR at least the cell, just leave your home number and you can see all the messages when you go home at night. I assume someone with her would know how to reach you if it were an emergency!

freqflyer Oct 2014
I think cellphones makes it too easy for an elder to keep calling, too easy to instant re-dial. The cell is probably in her lap or pocket. If she had a landline, she would need to keep walking over to the telephone and that might cut the number of calls. Just a thought.

My boss does the butt-dialing thing, so very annoying.

OmgWhatNow Oct 2014
Thanks Ba8, but there's a whole other story behind that as to why she doesn't go yo a senior center yet

BarbBrooklyn Oct 2014
Is there adult day care that she can go to? Check out senior centers nearby.

OmgWhatNow Oct 2014
Both actually. Half the time it isn't really anxiety as much as it is, "When you come over don't forget to pick up cigarettes". And i have to constantly remind her she cant have any. Not so much for her health, but the health of the person she's living with. But still, how anxiety ridden must one person be to call somebody nonstop throughout the day? Sometimes, she calls and I dont get an answer like she accedently butt-dialed me or something. Her calling me all the time is making me anxious!

BarbBrooklyn Oct 2014
Is this because she's anxious? Or because she's forgotten that she just talked to you?

OmgWhatNow Oct 2014
Not without it costing me money. Have to run it by my husband first

Labs4me Oct 2014
Can you temporarily block her number? Some cell phones and carriers provide those features

ADVERTISEMENT

Ask a Question

Subscribe to
Our Newsletter