Phone in Nursing Home

[Mark1]

MIL left her apartment this week and entered a nursing home, mostly due to mobility issues. Although, she is 86 years old and her mental abilities are declining, she can still run an old landline type phone nicely. Since my DW and I live out of state, we are going to arrange (and pay) for some time of phone system for her. When I asked the nursing home about phone service, they indicated that we could call Century Link and have a phone installed in her room. However, I got to thinking about just adding a third line to our cell phone plan and getting her a big, fat 1990s style cell phone. We are likely going to move her to a new location sometime latter this year so hooking up Century Link for a few months doesn't seem worth it. Just curious what others have done in this situation and why.


Thank you for your input.

 

[Souschef]

I would go with a landline. If your MIL is in some sort of decline, she may not remember to charge the phone.

 

[REWahoo]

If you decide to go with a cell phone check out Jitterbug phones and low cost plans. Sounds like it might be perfect for her needs.

https://clark.com/technology/jitterbug-phone-need-to-know/

 

[Lewis Clark]

I would go with a landline. If your MIL is in some sort of decline, she may not remember to charge the phone.

+1

She may have trouble keeping the phone in her possession. If in a metal decline the phone may get sent through the laundry and need replacing. Or it may just get lost somehow. My dad had all of these issues.

 

[RunningBum]

She may lose track of the phone, or more importantly, may not remember how to use it. Why is there no dial tone? I dialed the numbers, why isn't it ringing? I pick up the phone when it rings, but it keeps ringing?

I wouldn't disrupt her with a new type of phone unless she's already been using a cell phone a lot.

 

[audreyh1]

Mental decline - use a landline! Cellphones are too complicated and require charging.

 

[pjm-7]

When we had to move dad from his apartment to a memory care unit we kept the landline. He previously had a cell phone but it was getting too complicated to use. We got him a landline phone that had big square buttons (it kind of looked like a child's play phone). We programed in all of our phone numbers; #1 son, #2 other son, etc. When he needed to call he could just push one button. The name of each person was written under the number.

 

[street]

When my parents where in the home it was easier for them to have a land line. Cell was to much bother for them etc. etc..

 

[Scrapr]

Agreed on landline. Cell phone worked out less & less as cognition declined for Mom & Dad. Maybe an Ooma line? The big phone companies really get a bunch for POTS

 

[Sunset]

Maybe one of these would work:

https://www.amazon.com/cell-phones-that-look-like-home/s?k=cell+phones+that+look+like+home+phones

example:

 

[Katsmeow]

Has she ever had a cell phone? If she has and has been able to successfully use one then fine. However, if not, she may not be able to learn. My mother in her 80s was never able to really work a very simple cell phone (dumb phone, not smart). And, she was mentally fine. But it was just too different from what she was used to and she just couldn't figure it out. You can try it but don't be surprised if it doesn't work.

 

[rk911]

MIL left her apartment this week and entered a nursing home, mostly due to mobility issues. Although, she is 86 years old and her mental abilities are declining, she can still run an old landline type phone nicely. Since my DW and I live out of state, we are going to arrange (and pay) for some time of phone system for her. When I asked the nursing home about phone service, they indicated that we could call Century Link and have a phone installed in her room. However, I got to thinking about just adding a third line to our cell phone plan and getting her a big, fat 1990s style cell phone. We are likely going to move her to a new location sometime latter this year so hooking up Century Link for a few months doesn't seem worth it. Just curious what others have done in this situation and why.


Thank you for your input.

we we with a traditional landline and a large button touchtone phone. we programmed two numbers into memory...ours and son #1. KISS.

 

[HarveyS]

+100 for a land line. DM had both cell and landline in her home. Cell was usually in the couch cushions, uncharged. Landline was always on the kitchen table. If hearing is an issue, look for a phone that lights up when it is ringing. We did not have this, but it would have helped.

 

[Amethyst]

Yes, stick with a phone that knows its place and stays there.

Even people with no "cognitive issues" put their smartphones down, and forget where they left them. And it becomes harder to remember your own phone number, so you can ask someone else to call it and listen for the ring

Mental decline - use a landline! Cellphones are too complicated and require charging.

 

[Mark1]

OP here. Thanks for all the input. All your points on the additional complexities of cell phones are probably right on target. However, I do need to stay away from corded models due to MIL's physical dexterity (stroke arm, etc.). Her apartment landline had a handset which worked OK so I might just have to pay the hook-up twice this year if we do end up moving her to a new nursing home later this year. Although, I haven't called Century Link yet to discuss, when I looked at their website it appears that the only option might be a “bundle”, i.e., phone and internet service.

 

[euro]

I hear you on having to pay twice for installation and on having to buy a bundle of services, but in the big picture, it’s not that much money. I agree with most of the other advice- stick with what you know she is able to use. My Dad, who passed away in 2018 at age 90 tried to learn how to use a cell phone for 10 years (even took an adult learning class on “cell phones for seniors”), but he never got the hang of it. Tried all sorts of large button phones, etc but just couldn’t sort it out. Toward the end, the phone was really the only on-the-spot connection he had to the outside world, so the landline was worth whatever it cost.

 

[braumeister]

I hear you on having to pay twice for installation and on having to buy a bundle of services, but in the big picture, it’s not that much money. I agree with most of the other advice- stick with what you know she is able to use. My Dad, who passed away in 2018 at age 90 tried to learn how to use a cell phone for 10 years (even took an adult learning class on “cell phones for seniors”), but he never got the hang of it. Tried all sorts of large button phones, etc but just couldn’t sort it out. Toward the end, the phone was really the only on-the-spot connection he had to the outside world, so the landline was worth whatever it cost.

I agree; this is well worth the cost. Going into an "institution" (as my mother jokingly called it) is traumatic enough. Mom, although a very intelligent woman, never could get the hang of any kind of phone but the traditional landline, so this is extremely common in that age group.

 

[PatrickA5]

I paid for Dad's cell phone line for 15 years until he passed at 97. He never could figure out how to use it (and it was a very simple one). Since he was driving well into his 90's, I wanted him to have one in the car. He might have used it a dozen times in those 15 years. I probably paid $200 per phone call.

Once he had me take his phone to get a new one because his just wouldn't work anymore. Like an idiot, I took it to the cell phone store. It wasn't turned on.

I agree with others about the landline. Dad was able to use his until the day he died.

 

[MichaelB]

If she hasn’t used a cell phone before, this is probably not the moment to learn.

My DM has been in assisted living for 6 years. She insisted on keeping the cell phone she used for years, it’s the only way she can stay in touch with her old friends and relatives. It’s been lost / replaced 3 times, and now she has difficulty keeping it charged. To help with this we put a land line. AT&T is the only option and it’s expensive, but it’s the only sure way to keep in touch with her.

The one unexpected downside to the land line is the continuous stream of telemarketing, robocalls and outright scammers. Her finances are safe so she isn’t exposed, but she regularly calls me and others siblings, worried and expressing concern about a call from the IRS, SSA, Medicare, etc ...

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Consumer Cellular has a "hotspot" modem that will connect to a traditional land-line type phone. We have one, and we're able to use our old land-line phone number with it. The only change is that our messages go to a voice mail instead of the telephone answering machine.

I suspect other cell phone providers would offer similar hardware if you ask for it.