Cell phones: Easy-to-use phone for disabled person

Easy-to-use phone for disabled person

Hi, I'm posting this for my mother's sake.

Awhile go, my mom had a series of disabling strokes which has made it almost impossible for her to answer a regular phone on her own.

She is wheelchair bound, and can't reach over to pick up a phone. She can use her hands.

She gets confused easily by all the buttons on a phone. A phone with large numbers and buttons isn't the solution. She can see very well.

So, I'm enlisting all of you here at cnet in "The great search for the one-button, voice-activated/speakerphone cell phone."

Does the perfect phone for my mom exist? Requirements:

1) Preferably a cell phone;

2) Light weight enough to wear on a cord around her neck;

3) Has one button to answer and end calls;

4) Is voice activated (if not too complicated) ... ie: "Phone, Wake up!" ... "Call Nancy." ... "Hangup phone." Anything more complicated than that most likely will be too confusing;

5) Has a speakerphone so she doesn't have to hold the phone up to her ear;

6) Preferably a "candy bar" style phone as opposed to a flip phone. Having to open the phone to answer it might be too confusing.


7) Not sure what "International compatibility" is. If it means, the phone can't make international calls, then that would be a problem.

8) Not a necessity, but if the phone has video recording/display during a call that would be fun for my mother.


I've been trying desperately to find a cell phone with all of these features for my mother.

I've looked at a variety of websites: (too) high-tech sites; sites for the disabled; sites for the mentally and/or physically disabled; cell and regular phone sites; aged/dementia sites.

Ugh.

No gold.

Did happen upon some cool stuff. Ideo created a really cool wrist phone ... though it might be only a prototype.


Any good suggestions?!

My mother would really appreciate any suggestions.

Thank you so much in advance.

Nancy