Older people have never been characterized by being easy to convince and with whom it is possible to easily talk about various topics without leaving the stubbornness that usually characterizes them and that is associated with a certain age. If we also want force him to change some of your habits, the thing can become very complex.
If you've been looking for a phone for seniorsIn this article we are going to offer a series of tips that you should take into account not only to choose a phone (smart or not) but also to try to convince you not to quickly put it in a drawer and forget about it.
Traditional mobile phone or smartphone
Depending on the use that we want the elderly person who is going to use it and their previous experience with electronic devices, the first thing we should do is consider what kind of mobile phone is the one we are looking for.
If the person has never used a smartphone, the device will seem the most difficult to use and will quickly be left in a drawer. Most older people are not interested in or like (depending on how you look at it) spending time learning to use a new device that they will use it on rare occasions.
In these cases, the best we can do is opt for a traditional mobile phone, like those of the first generations that were on the market in the 90s and early 2000s, phones that allowed us to make and receive calls, send text messages and little else.
If the person who is going to use the phone likes tinker, likes learn new things, likes computers, surfing the internet ... what you need is a smartphone, a smartphone that you will probably get much more out of than anyone else.
What should we consider
When buying a phone for an elderly person, we must take into account a series of factors related to the person who will use it, such as lack of mobility or any other disability, vision problems, hearing problems ...
Mobility problems
For people with mobility problems, we can't go for clamshell phones, however simple they are to use (based on the models that are currently on the market) for obvious reasons. In the market we can find, if we search well, telephones intended for this group, telephones whose operation is very similar to that of the landlines of all life.
These types of telephones offer us, in addition to the hang-up and pick-up keys, a series of letters to which they have been assigned a speed dial number, and where we can write your name so that the person who is going to use it does not have to memorize them.
Vision problems
People with sight problems you cannot use a smartphone with a small screen, because they will never see what is displayed on the screen, not even the name of the person who is calling or the person they want to call.
Both iOS and Android offer us a large number of accessibility features, functions that allow blind people to interact with the smartphone without any problem. In addition, thanks to the virtual assistants Siri and Google Assistant, we can not only make calls, but also know who is calling us, respond to messages that have previously been read, listen to what is displayed on the screen ...
Hearing problems
If you are a few years old, surely when you visited your grandmother and they called her on the phone, she had a bell that made it heard throughout the neighborhood. Hearing loss is a problem that, like sight, affects us all progressively as we go on adding years.
The problem when choosing a telephone for an elderly person with hearing problems is twofold, since each type of telephone, offers us different benefits that are tailored to the needs of these people.
Many are traditional mobile phones that offer a powered sound system so that these types of people have no problem hearing when the phone rings or conversations when they call.
Current smartphones offer a functionality that allows, through wired or bluetooth headphones, use them as hearing aids (I am not referring to headphones as we call them in Spain), but to devices that are placed in the ears of people with hearing problems to enhance the sound around them.
Problems we face
Convince the user
Convincing an elderly person that they have never used a mobile phone can be a daunting task that often ends up as impossible. Old people they don't think about the advantages what these devices offer them when they go out, when they go for a walk, if they fall at home ... they only think that they are devices created by the demon to control them at all times.
If that person has a family member abroad with whom they would like to speak more regularly, the possibility of doing so through a smartphone with applications to make video calls like WhatsApp, Skype, Telegram or any other application could be incentive enough so you can quickly accept it as a companion device.
We not only have a large market for mobiles for seniors, but also, in the Play Store we can also find apps for seniors, applications mainly intended for smartphones that allow users to interact with the devices without problems and in a very simple way.
Risk of falls
Some of the telephones intended for the elderly also incorporate a specific button to call a family member or directly to emergencies in case they feel unwell or fall at home (if they live alone), as long as they have the habit of always carrying it with them, so in these cases, a traditional mobile phone is the best option.
Related to the above, if older people live alone and we cannot always carry the phone with them in case they fall, a more expensive option but one that can save their lives is to use a smartwatch with a data connection.
Both the Apple Apple Watch (from series 4) and the Galaxy Watch 3, incorporate a fall detector, a sensor that after detecting a fall, makes a call to the emergency services with the location data and sends a message to family members.
This feature is only natively enabled for people over 65, to avoid false positives And in the case of the Apple Watch, it has saved so many lives that Apple has used it as a publicity claim.
Battery duration
Another problem, perhaps one of the most important (and not because of its functionality) is found in the battery. While smartphones have an average duration of one day, making normal use of it and that can be stretched for several days if we barely use it, in the case of traditional mobile phones, the battery can be extended for several weeks.
This is because they do not have an internet connection (2G), so they do not have to continually search for antennas with 4G and 5G connections to offer access to the network of networks. The problem is not only found in the battery life, but also trying to make the user who is going to use it remember to charge it almost every day.
If we usually stop by this person's house, there is no problem, since we can put it to charge ourselves. If this person does not live nearby, the only solution until they get used to it is to call periodically to charge it. If to charge it, we must place it on a charging base, it will always be more comfortable and simple for the person.
Built-in radio
Depending on the type of person to whom the phone is addressed, it is likely that if it incorporates a radio, radio that lets you enjoy your favorite shows Wherever you are, better than better. Some of the models that incorporate a radio, allow you to listen to it without the need to use headphones, headphones that are usually used to act as an antenna.
Best phones for seniors
Once we are clear about what to look for, below we show you some of the best phones for seniors.
Artphone C1
Telephone with large keys, with a dedicated one for call to emergency. Each number has a large dedicated key, integrates FM radio, calculator function, flashlight, a battery that offers us up to 240 hours of standby time and the screen is 1,77 inches.
El Artfone C1 Senior is priced 32,99 euros on Amazon y you can buy it through this link. This model is also available with a charging base, for 34,99 euros.
Artfone CS181 / CS182
The Artfone CS181 offers us a 1,7-inch screen with large keys including an additional one on the back that we can set up to call emergencies. It offers us a calculator, flashlight and FM radio function. The battery offers us more than 200 hours of standby time. The Artphone CS181 It has a price of 26,99 euros and we can buy through this link.
The CS182 integrates a charging base, its price is 33,99 euros and we can buy it through this link.
DoroSecure 850
The Doro Secure 850 is intended for people with mobility problems or for those who do not want to complicate their life at any time. This terminal offers us four buttons that we must previously preconfigure so that when pressed, it automatically calls the name that we must indicate next to the button.
He does not have an agenda, so we must think very well about the four telephones that you can call. On the back we find an emergency button that we can configure to call the emergency services, a neighbor, a relative ... Includes a charging base, is compatible with hearing aids, has a vibration function, speakerphone for hands-free calling ...
The price of DoroSecure 850 is 145 euros and we can buy through this link.
Funker C85
If the person who has to use the phone has no mobility or vision problems, the Funker C85 is an excellent option to consider. This shell type phone shows the name / number of the calling phone on the outside display, where you can also see the battery level, the day and the time.
The inner screen reaches 2,4 inches and with a 1000 mAh battery, offers us more than 200 hours of standby and a charging base. It integrates FM radio, bluetooth, alarm clock, flashlight function ...
The price of Funker C85 Easy Comfort is $35,95 and we can buy through this link.
Alcatel 2053D
Another of the shell type phones that we can buy for little money It is the Alcatel 2053D, a phone does not incorporate a screen on the outside and the one on the inside reaches 2,4 inches. It offers us a calculator function, FM radio and a flashlight function. The Alcatel 2053D price is $24,99 and we can buy it through this link.
