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Long before my dad moved in with us last February, my brother, sister, and I began worrying about him. He lived alone and—for entertainment—he drove mile after mile. Every day. In fact, in the year before he stopped driving, he drove over 110,000 miles.
He had a routine: Monday, canyon #1; Tuesday, around the lake; Wednesday, canyon #2; Thursday, the canyon loop; Friday, canyon #3; Saturday, Salt Lake for dinner with David; Sunday, dinner with either my sister or me. And errands every day in between.
I was so worried that he'd be on a drive somewhere, run out of gas or have a flat tire or a breakdown, and have no where to turn.
So, we bought him a cell phone and added him to our plan. Finally we could rest easy.
Except that in three entire years, he never once called anyone on the phone, answered the phone when we called, or even checked his voice mail.
In other words, we spent a lot of money to feel better without remotely solving the problem.
Instead of buying a regular phone—one with the functions we need and use—we would have been much better off getting a phone that was simple and as much like his landline as possible, so that he'd actually feel like he could use it. And it would have saved us a bundle. For example, how about a Senior Value that allows basic calling and texting for $10 per month. That's what I'm talking about.
Tracfone's new promotion is called Get into Everywhereness. The new phrase they coined emphasizes getting all the access you need, wherever you are, without spending a lot. I'm always looking to get the biggest bang for my buck.
Alison Moore Smith is a 61-year-old entrepreneur who graduated from BYU in 1987. She has been (very happily) married to Samuel M. Smith for 40 years. They are parents of six incredible children and grandparents to two astounding grandsons. She is the author of The 7 Success Habits of Homeschoolers.
I think all old people use the same functions of mobile — they just answer them and nothing else. My dad is over 60 and he just the same — only answers and he is a bit oversighted and it is hard for him to find the right button to press to answer the mobile.
Unfortunately such things are not avaliable in my area and sometimes mobile service can be rather expensive for us to pay.
In this day and age, we expect everyone to be available at the touch of a button, especially our elderly loved ones. It’s nice to know there are options available for them. Now the trick is to get them to carry the phone with them all the time. Good thing they aren’t difficult to use!