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If I could find an old princess phone (just pick up and hang up) and get a cell phone line (eliminates most telemarketers) hooked up to it somehow, then I could call and check on her every day. She can't manage much more than picking it up to answer. Can't dial a number. I want to stay in touch, and I live far away. She is living in her home with caregivers (single grandsons).

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Most elders wouldn't be able to handle or even hear on a cellphone. Most would misplace it or drop it. I have had a cellphones since the late 1980's and just recently started getting junk calls, and only my sig other and my boss has my cell number.... so it's robo calls.

At home I have a landline, unlisted, and am on the Do Not Call List, I still get calls.... annoying ones that start out "HELLO SENIORS" selling medical alert type systems which are canned calls coming from all different telephone numbers so you can't trace it down to one number to complain to the FCC about a caller.
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go to Walmart and a straight talk phone. It works a cell phone and you get to use your own land line phone
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okay, I have an unlisted number and still get calls. I also registered with do not call and still get calls. its like someone said about robo calls, the computer is set to dial numbers and I am sure it goes right down the line starting at 0001 and so forth........the first person that answers, the rest drop off. and everyone please tell whoever answers the phone: If they ask = are you so-so? NEVER say YES......just say this is so-so.........cause some places record the "yes" and you have no idea what you are using the "yes" for.
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You could get her a simple Jitterbug cell phone. Once you order it and provide the info to them, it comes with pre-programmed phone numbers (so #1 would be you, etc, whatever you choose). The buttons are big, the screen is magnified. If you call her she just has to flip it open and press one large button to get your call. Simple service (100 min/mo) is $18/mo. (or was as of 2 yrs ago).
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to frenchmadeline: There is no way I would want my parents talking with a telemarketer.......they sell stuff.......so heaven only knows what they might order and then you have another whole set of problems.
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Maybe your Mother would welcome the opportunity to talk to a telemarketer in the middle of a lonely afternoon. And if she's not completely clear tor making sense to the telemarketer (because of her AD) the telemarketer would hopefully bow out nicely by wishing her a nice day.

Otherwise you have received many good ideas about what kind of phones and systems are now available for the family of dementia patients. It seems only a few years ago (well, she passed away in May 2009 at age 100 so yes it was more than a few years) we couldn't work anything out with the NH so we could say even a few words to my Grandmother. There was a phone in the room but the NH never made any staff available to hold it to her ear. It was very upsetting. Good luck to you!
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My mother was getting 5 or more telemarketing calls a day! I found a call blocker device on the internet and it works. You can block individual numbers, area codes, etc. I believe you need caller id service from your telephone provider but it is worth the cost. In terms of the telephone itself, your best bet to find an old fashion corded phone is the internet.
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The ATT phone line is like a cell phone so the telemarketers wont be calling. Chose your number wisely that you want to have.
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Call ATT, I got my mom a phone line with them that is 20 dollars a month it is a two year contract, It has a small base that is a satellite base that you can hook up any phone too. They can make long distance and local calls out at only 20.00 per month unlimited. I got one for my mom case she wouldn't put long distance on her home line because it was too expensive with her home carrier. This works great I got a portable phone with 2 phones and she keeps one in the kitchen and the other in the bedroom. Now she can call her long distance friends too. I got sick of my mom always having her line busy and not being able to get a hold of her. She does from time to time leave the phone off the hook. This way no telemarketers have her number. It is local to the state I live in and nobody knows it but her family.
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Carol (expert): I hate to say this but I have an unlisted number (forever) and I have telemarketers still call. As long as you deal with a company, you can't even opt them out with the "do not call list". So if you deal with Sears, they can call you.
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There's another issue beyond the DoNoCall list and that is that numbers are reused. I think there is some rule about the amount of time that must go by before a number can be reused, but I have moved quite a lot and gotten a couple numbers that belonged to people that had judgement s against them, owed money, had bill collectors after them, etc.. Of course, when you claim not to be that person, no-one will believe you, thinking it really is them and they're just dodging their problems.

Here is my advice and this has worked for me:
Within the first few weeks of owning the new number, you will usually find out if you have gotten a number that is going to get active collection calls. As soon as you realize this, immediately contact customer support for the phone service you are using, tell them the problem, and insist you get a new number.

Then, they will tell you that you have to pay a fee. However, I have been extremely insistent that it is wrong to recycle so active a number and that I deserve a new number and should not have to pay and, every time, have gotten my way. I do this when I'm willing to really spend the time on the phone to talk to supervisors and just not give in, but I've done it.
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The DO NOT CALL LIST is worthless. She is on it along with myself and we both still receive calls from telemarketers and folks running for offices.
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I had a horrible problem with this and my mother as well, only my problem was that she was willing to give money to everyone who asked. I live in the house with her and I still have to run to the phone to intercept the calls.

I know Telemarketers are working a job but I hate them. They do invade your home and privacy. They now say "Hi I called you about a year ago and you told me you didn't need any work done, but to call you back again so I am calling you to see if you need anything done now!" I get so angry because that is a lie but it is their way of getting around the rules set up by the government. If you give them permission to call you they can, if you have ever had work done by them or even have an account at their store, they can call you. I even have people call to speak to John or say they are returning his call, when he has been dead for almost 9 years.

I never found a phone that stopped their calls. It does make me wonder if you were connected on one of those lines through the internet would that work? There use to be a box that you bought and connected the phone through it and if a telemarketer called it could tell if it was computer generated and it would disconnect the call. Mine stopped working and I never found another one.

Best wishes to you on this!!
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Stumble, I have a Straight talk phone from walmart and whoever had the number prior to me must have been a ass. The first 2 months I had it, I got calls from everyone you can think of that this jerk owed and never paid . They would not believe I am not this jerks wife. Blocked each and every one. I also got calls from people who sells golf digest, readers digest and a ton of other magazines that this jerk had ordered and never paid for. It took forever for the calls to stop.
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Any of the phone companies (Cox, CenturyLink, etc.) have a feature on it that blocks solicitations. Get a phone with big numbers on it too. Also, give the caregivers permission to answer the phone for her and then you can have talks everyday. It will get to a point when she won't talk or understand your voice.
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My nephew introduced me to an app called Call Guard for Mom's Android phone. It was very inexpensive (less than $5.00) and allows us to block all calls that originate from a number not on her contact list. They call it creating a "white list". You can also create a "black list" and block only the numbers on that list. I don't know if there are applications available for other phones or if this will work on other than Android phones but it works for us.
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You may be very right, but mom's telephone never has rung once after the 1st week that I registered it. I don't get junk calls either.
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I DO NOT THINK THAT ANYONE HAS EVER BEEN PROSECUTED BY THE DO NOT CALL LIST VIOLATIONS ?? ..and The TELEMARKETERS KNOW IT !!!
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Free: DO NOT CALL registry. I had the same problem. It works!
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My Mom has MagicJack, is on the DoNotCall list and still gets telemarketers. As someone said, robodialers will find them. And, since they don't always go off published lists of numbers, can even get through on unlisted numbers.

However, getting an unlisted number and getting on the DoNotCall list (and don't forget that needs to be periodically renewed) is a start.

Here's what I'm wondering and I'm just asking if anyone knows how to do this but:
In e-mail, we can whitelist people where we can insist that we only allow e-mail from certain people. On phones, we normally do the opposite where we block those numbers we don't want. I have to wonder if there's a way to use one of the VOIP services like e-mail, where you tell just which numbers you will allow? I'm not saying there is, just putting that out to think about.

With that said, I wonder if there's a way to do that with something like Skype? And, then, can you somehow how that up through a line to a princess phone?

I have seen those princess phone handsets to attach to cell phones, for those people who can't speak/hear on a cellphone, but I don't know that that's going to work -- am just mentioning it in case it could somehow work into this strategy.
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I placed my dad on the Do Not Call List but it was not effective. I was told that the DNC list only blocks certain kinds of calls and while I don't remember which kind of calls it does block I remember thinking at the time what a useless service it was as my dad still received calls from people who worked outside of the DNC list.
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Have you tried the majicjack as it works through the computer and you wouldn't have any long distance charges. I don't think that the Tele-markets can get through this line. Look into it as it can't hurt. Good Luck
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You might try one of Tracfone's big button phones. We got one for my Mom when my Dad with LBD began fixating on the telephone. We ported their number to the Tracfone and cancelled the landline. They're pretty easy to use and are made for seniors. If your Mom can push the 'send' and 'end' buttons it would work great for her. It also has speaker-phone and voice mail, which might come in handy. You just pay as you go every 90 days or so. My husband and I liked it so much that we got one for ourselves (Tracfone is our first and only 'cellphone'). We've NEVER gotten a telemarketing call on it and we've had it almost a year now.
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If I had the choice I would get a Wal-Mart Straight Talk phone. The initial cost is about $100 (it went down black Friday) and the monthly fee is $25. And no telemarketers. Give the number to no one. I have one and it works fine.
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P.S. -
It doesn't matter what phone you have, as for robo calls, the telemarketers are pegging ALL phones, they robo calls just go digit by digit hitting ALL phones.
And, we know that the DNC (Do Not Call) list does NOT work.
This is why I say, we need legislators to really fix the problem, once & for all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Phones with large numbers are for blind, not deaf.
And, many OTC phones have adjusted volume -- albeit anemic negligible audio difference.
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I have Mom's answering machine turned up so she can her message being left.. She's been told by me to ONLY pick it up if she hears and knows the person calling.. Anyone who actually knows my Mom knows to say "Hi Mom it's me are you there"? Then she picks up!! It gets recorded on machine until she picks up..
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You can get a phone with large numbers for the hearing impaired so you can turn the volumn up, get her number unlisted and put her on the DO NOT CALL list, which you can go on line and do. It will take about 3 months to have her placed on the list. Only give out her number to the people you would want to call her. I believe cell phones would be hard for her to push the button to answer and you run a risk of her loosing it and if she is in facility of CNAs and the staff using it. And they will. I am lucky the facility my mother is at has a resident line takes the phone to her when we call.
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You could find a simple phone online and then order a new landline number for her. It would take time for telemarketers to find the new number. Better yet, get an unlisted number. It will cost more but be worth it. Then only you or whomever you give the number to can call.
Take care,
Carol
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I can see how telemarketer calls would hinder phone wellfare checks for caregiving. I myself don't get "a lot", but - heck - one a day is too much! So, I have resorted to Caller ID (external stand-alones) on my phones, and I simply do NOT answer unless & until I know it's a viable friend/relative/business! I can see where that would be a problem/issue for "confused" seniors. I have researched phones... for ears/hearing issues, I've gotten phones from CTAP (free to Calif. residents), however, they're just adaptational OTC phones. I've found NO phones that suit my issues at this point! Battery & uncorded phones are the PITS for my ears/hearing - and it does not matter if it's MY phone or the calling person's phone... the quality of the calling person's phone makes a huge difference in my hearing/audio, too.

But, back to telemarketers calls -- IMHO, I think the only viable answer is We the People MUST take action that our elected reps legislators MUST do something serious & drastic to STOP this prolific invasion of our home phones. It's having a profound effect on friendships, families, etc., all who simply live by their Caller ID's... and even get discriminatory about which friends/family legitimate people they opt to answer for. A civil society doesn't need that!
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