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Slambfl1 Asked January 2020

Telephone help for dementia brother?

My brother has been in an Assisted Living facility for 2 years. Until recently he has been using (with sporadic success) the apple cell phone he had when he was moved there. He so much wants Reliable communication with friends. We have researched and finally purchased a landline phone designed for memory impaired people. However, the key pads where pictures of friends are put in the place of numbers for instant dialing is so small, it is difficult for him to distinguish the faces. The visible part of the key pads are about 1"x1".. I'm wondering if anyone has had a similar problem and what you found to solve the problem. Thanks for any help you can provide.

MargaretMcKen Jan 2020
Could you do a bigger picture of the keypad, put the photos on the picture in the same layout, laminate the picture and keep it next to the phone? It’s a cheap option to try. It would be good if the photos have a color so that the keypad is easy to match up with the picture.

97yroldmom Jan 2020
Oh I think that is a great idea but he needs WiFi for Alexa.

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cwillie Jan 2020
I'm going to suggest exploring some of the new technology available. Since he could manage a cell phone before might he be able to adapt to voice dialing? - " Siri, call Slambfl1". Or Alexa. Or whatever. (I have no clue how to set this stuff up but I do know that people who have commented on this forum are doing it)

97yroldmom Jan 2020
I almost got this phone for my aunt and decided against it for that reason. Would a card with their picture and the #s above each name be doable?
Like a photo of you with a #1 above it and on the phone itself, instead of a photo would be a number 1.
I suppose it would be a matter of trial and error. You could also share the layout with his friends. So if he called you when he meant to call John you could say, John is number 3. I know with some short term memory loss they wouldn’t be able to remember that. I think when I read the reviews on Amazon it made me think twice about this phone. Aunt no longer calls out. Screens others.
Or maybe you could write their name on the space. John written out instead of his picture. A magnifying glass might also help.
It is great you are trying.

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