Essential Features for a Senior-Friendly Cell Phone

Everybody has cell phones these days; kids, teenagers, college students, parents, and single adults. It’s important for your child to have a cell phone for lots of reasons. But it is equally if not more important for grandma and grandpa to have a cell phone that is always within reach. The why part of that is easy to figure out… 911! Here are some features that seniors with cell phones should not be without.

The Eyes have It

Failing eyesight is something that seldom waits until old age. I don’t consider myself a senior yet and I’ve had to wear glasses for years. So large, readable, raised keys are essential on these phones. I just make them easy to read and easy to push. When you’re checking these phones, look closely at the phone for yourself and determine whether or not you feel the need to squint in order to read it. If you don’t wear glasses and you have to squint chances are a senior is going to have even more difficulty reading the numbers and letters on the phone’s keypad and display.

Lend Me an Ear

In addition to eyesight, hearing is sometimes yet another victim of old age. Whether they like to admit it or not, seniors frequently have trouble hearing. Cell phones tend to cause interference with hearing aids and volume controls, aside from being hard to manage, don’t always fill the bill. Headsets or speakerphones are your best bet for seniors and cell phones. Speed dialing is a real time saver but many seniors will have difficulty remembering which number speed dials whom. A list might be a good idea. And the easier the phone is to use, the better.

Pricing of course, is a major concern for seniors on a fixed budget. Be sure that there are no hidden fees or costs on such things as broadband. And make battery life and recharging ease a major consideration as well.