My 78 year old Mum has disconnected her land line and decided to get a mobile phone, which is surprising but great! I want to get her a decent phone that is very user friendly, big buttons or good size touch screen icons, decent size screen, does not cost a fortune...I am after some recommendations from anyone who might have gone through a similar exercise for their parents. There is one called a KISA that came up in a search but that is probably too basic so a level or two up from that one perhaps.

www.kisaphone.com.au/

TH...

My Mum is 79yo and took herself to Telstra to get something 'just in case'... they sell a couple of 'oldies' handsets that are specifically designed for the older folk... maybe check their website.

What about an older generation iPhone or similar. It's extremely common for oldies to go missing or walk-about, especially if dementia or similar has snuck in and having a GPS in their pocket is a handy way to track them down. Up to you whether you tell them or not....

you can can always put it in a big, grippy silicone cover and load on a couple of emergency apps with contact details, next of kin etc. There's also a few setting options to make icons and text larger.

^^^ agreed - and if they can't see the numbers to dial on an iPhone 5 screen, they won't be able to use any phone.
It is also more intuitive for oldies who seem to get lost in menus, but the iPhone is press the round button to go back to start. Simple.

^^^+ 2
79 year old Mum
86 year old Dad
Both have iPhones and find them useful and easy to use
But they are willing to learn, not all older people are

Mobile phone?? Is that like when you have a long extension lead on your phone so you can take it out on the balcony??

Thanks for the suggestions. I have never owned an Apple product so was not aware of how easy they are to use. I will check a few of different types and see what Mum thinks. Cisco, I thought I would be specific or maybe people might think my mum wanted a mobile welding unit or a mobile home or a mobile meth lab or a static mobile to play nice music and help her sleep at night.

TH.....

I have a mobile welding unit but it is not wireless. Still needs a power point to plug into.

Walt and Jesse had a mobile meth lab actually in a mobile home. Do two mobiles cancel each other out and make a stationary like a double negative makes a positive??

Hi
there is a range of what is called now Dumb phones,just google and u will find them.

Oh yes!!! There are plenty of them but they are actually SMART phones because they don't go doing things you don't want them to do unless you tell them to do it.

I ended up getting Mum a Huawei brand with a 5 inch screen for $129. It has taken a couple of days but Mum is getting the hang of it and is able to answer and make calls. Text messaging will be next...in a couple of weeks time...Then the camera function....

TH...

My 80 year old mother recently got an iPhone. I don't know anyone else that knows every single menu down to the deepest option and she can text pretty much as fast as any school kid. Her text speak is both hilarious and ingenious, and she keeps as all entertained trying to decrypt what she is saying.

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cisco said..
I have a mobile welding unit but it is not wireless. Still needs a power point to plug into.

Walt and Jesse had a mobile meth lab actually in a mobile home. Do two mobiles cancel each other out and make a stationary like a double negative makes a positive??

haha

Iphone would be the easiest i guess for intuitiveness. But i really think ditching the landline is a bad idea if they are anything like most oldies. Especially if they are flustered or theres an emergency

One of the biggest issues/emergencies facing oldies in their own home, especially if they live alone is falling and not being able to get up. That includes not reaching a landline phone or mobile on the kitchen bench, if granny still has a landline buy her a duress pendant to go with it.

Many die on the ground where they fall because they live alone and no-one finds them for days. Many more die from complications arising from falls within the next 30 days. Give them a landline, mobile phone and a duress pendant!

Finding someone passed away on the ground because they couldn't get to a phone or didn't like wearing a pendant is an utter waste. I've seen it first hand countless times.

They hate wearing the pendants and stuff but get them wearing them when you have half a chance of reasoning with them before they turn into stubborn old farts