A Simple New Phone for Seniors

April 2, 2008 RSS Feed Print

A bit of refreshing news amid the hoopla over sophisticated, multifunction cellphones taking over the world: a simple phone for seniors. The ClarityLife will operate with a big screen, big text, four simple buttons, and amplified sound.

That covers the sight, touch, and hearing that fade as we get older. And as a bonus, the phone is no clunker. The simplicity lends itself to a clean, sleek look.

A keypad does slide out when needed. That's about as complicated as it gets. No camera, GPS, messaging, music, video, or the other features being lathered onto ever smaller handsets.

ClarityLife does add one interesting feature, an emergency button on the back of the phone. Hit the recessed red button and the phone starts dialing five preset contacts, cycling through until it reaches someone. A siren sounds on the phone to make sure the owner knows the emergency calls are underway.

The phone comes from a division of Plantronics called Clarity, which sells other communications products for the aging population. Clarity says it doesn't have pricing yet for the phone, which won't be available until late summer. But ClarityLife will come without a long-term contract, another nice touch of simplicity.

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cellphones

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I know one cell phone for the elderly that is not only simple, it is only being offered at a reasonable cost and without a contract. It’s the Just5 phone I’m pertaining to. Just5 phone, like ClarityLife, boasts valuable features for the elderly and disabled individuals. It has big and clear keypad, louder volume, and basic entertainment like F.M. radio. It also functions as an emergency response device. It has an emergency S.O.S. button that automatically dials the pre-programmed numbers when pressed. It also turns as an alarm to catch the attention of the people around when the phone dials the pr-programmed number.

Additionally, the phone features a built-in flashlight that still works though the phone is off. It has a long-lasting battery, too.

Just5 phone is the most fantastic cell phone for the old folks in my own opinion because this does not only features valuable features but also a practical price.

www.just5.com

Reagan I. of NV 5:59AM June 07, 2010

Shirley,

Life Alert, the company that you have chosen for the in-home system, also has a 911 Cell Phone with a single button that you push to talk to a 911 operator. The pendant sized phone can be worn or carried in your hand. It works wherever GSM wireless service is available. Life Alert handles everything for you in regards to set up and service so that you deal with them, not a wireless carrier for service.

Here's the link: http://www.lifealert.com/911phone.html

Best regards,

Koop

Koop of WA 6:43AM September 17, 2009

Hi, Gail.

You've evidenced an ability to read, which means you can see well enough to read and interpret meaning well enough from what you see. So, you have one of the essential skills that you will need to solve the problem that you've presented.

If you used a computer rather than a smartphone to reach this website and to type and submit your comment, you have an important tool that you need to begin the process of solving the problem that you've defined.

Your comments reveal an ability to imagine something beyond the patch of earth on which you're standing; this characteristic should be leveraged fully to serve you well.

If you can read and comprehend, you can communicate and learn.

If you can imagine, you can create and become more and better than who, what and where you started.

If you have a computer and know how to use it, you have an essential tool with which you can learn, communicate and create.

So, why are you wasting your time whining and complaining that others have not solved your problem for you whilst you sit idly like a spoiled, selfish child on your lazy behind?

If you want to customize your phone for personal use, what exactly are you choosing to believe about yourself or the phone that is getting in your way of doing what you need to get the result that you want?

As anyone who has truly lived and learned for most or all of their 68 years should know, one size doesn't actually fit "all"...and if you want something done right for you, ahem, do it yourself.

Be the change that you wish to see in the world.

Best regards,

M. Gandhi

M. Gandhi of WA 6:18AM September 17, 2009

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Our in-house gadget guru, Senior Writer David LaGesse, checks out the latest technologies and gizmos, from computer software to GPS systems -- and reports back to you in plain English.


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