Are there any alternatives to GrandPad?

We have been using an Echo Show with my mom for a while, she has 3 generations now in various rooms, the latest is great it moves with her, is a larger screen and the speaker is better. It allows for us to “drop in” without her having to do anything so it’s just like us walking in the room but with some warning. When someone is dropping in there is a sound kind of like a door bell and the screen is fuzzy on their e d for several seconds giving the call recipient a chance to deny the call or turn off the video so it’s only audio, we have never used that because mom isn’t capable and we use this line of communication to care for her throughout the day (she needs ques). It works so well and she has become so accustomed to it that she often forgets I’m not physically in the room. There is a lot of interaction one can have with the Echo, much more it can do for you but Mom has aphasia and can’t speak to it. Still it has more than paid for itself and if we get to the point where she needs to be placed in LTC we will move one in with her so her children and grandchildren can still drop by wherever they are!

An Echo Show from Amazon, if what you mostly want to do is actively 'drop in'. I think there's a way to set it up so that the other user doesn't have to do anything at all. See if the first generation one would meet your needs--only $ 45 on sale. Also, maybe you can find a deal from the Amazon Warehouse, where things are marked down a fair bit--no complaints-I think it's mostly opened and returned things. Bought a refurbished I-pad for my mom from Amazon and removed most of the apps as she just surfs, does email, and plays solitaire. It's working fine. She can still hit the 'open' button when I face time her to answer the call. I think with the Echo Show the screen can just open when you call but can't guarantee it.

Just keep her off Facebook.
To many elderly get scammed and lose their life savings on there.

We got my mother a GrandPad while she and Dad were still in assisted living, so that I could try to keep her on track with meds, visually see how they both were doing, etc. At first, she was really resistant to using it except as a phone; she thought the games were silly, didn't like the music selections, etc. But now it's in her hands a lot of the day. She can communicate with family members that don't come often to see her, can share photos, loves Solitaire and Bingo and a lot of the articles, and enjoys some websites that I've added. She's nearly blind in one eye and the other is pretty bad, so a typical iPad won't work. She can't see the cursor and small print, and she can't use the on-screen keyboard. But she's become a master at the GrandPad!

We bought 2 to start with, one new and one used (Consumer Cellular sells refurbished ones when they have them available, at a lower price), so that she had one and we had one. We taught her how to do the basics with it that way, talking her through it time after time while we were in different locations but both using a GrandPad. Unfortunately, the one that we bought used had issues pretty quickly; but Consumer Cellular had no problem taking it back and reimbursing its cost.

I think you get a free trial use period (don't remember how long), so you could see if it looks like it will be worth the initial purchase cost and the monthly user fee. We've been really impressed with their customer service department.

My husband thought it was a ridiculous price for limited options when we bought it, until Mom had it for a while. We agree now that it's worth far more than what it cost, because it's intended for people with limited understanding of computer technology and use, who may have arthritic or trembling hands, vision issues, etc. that make iPad use very difficult. We too tried to find other options before going for the GrandPad, but we couldn't find anything else that would work for her.

I just looked up the Grandpad. Consumer Cellular has a pretty good option. You can pay for the pad outright or pay in installments. The service is $40 a month which includes wifi and other features. The pad costs not much more than any pad I have purchased. They claim risk free and giving a $100 disc till Oct 31st. U save 5% using an AARP membership on the service.

Don't you have family members who would help share the cost. There are four kids in my family so split 4 ways would be $50 ea. Then all pitch in for a year of service. Nice gift for someone who has everything.

I have an old Fire, I think second generation. This one has a main screen where the Apps are large. You can pick just the APPs you want to use on the carousel. Not sure how the updated ones are. But if she/you already have wifi, this maybe an alternative. But I really think that besides the cost of the pad, $40 a month for wifi is cheap for what u get.

Unlimited Data Use
Unlimited Ad Free Streaming Music
Unlimited Video Calling
Internet Browsing with Customizable Security
Award-Winning Customer Support
Customizable Content
Mobile Access via Smartphone App

My mom has never wanted anything to do with technology except a basic tv if that counts! I bought her GrandPad so she could see her family especially new great grandson.
she LOVES it! She basically looks at pictures or videos that we post. She’s 93. Yes, pricey but great support, fun things to do like games and articles (my mom doesn’t access) and video calling. It’s not long term so I’m ok with it for now. I’m curious too about any alternatives. Good luck!