I have no experience with them, but I've seen ads for the Jitterbug which is especially designed for seniors. OnStar has also come out with a mirror that can be added to any car, but it looks pretty pricey.

Jitterbug looks promising but it appears to be an independent service and there is a large white spot indicating no service very near her. I will certainly check it out by phone tomorrow.

I was hoping we could add her to our service via the family plan. We have Verizon. The first question we were asked is if she had a cell phone with GPS. "Hmm, no... She doesn't have a cell phone."

But a cell phone would have made everything so simple and saved hours of fear and frustration. She could have contacted us. We could have contacted her. The police could have located her.

So we are getting her one. The challenge will be working with her on charging. She has killed more portable home phones than I can count by leaving them charge whenever she isn't using them. (Like the old phones, in her mind, they belong on the hook.) She had a cell phone for awhile that she always left plugged in. She killed it.

I have plain old Virgin Mobile. We still have land lines so it isn't used much, just for emergencies and "What do you want on your pizza" type calls. We signed up last year and it was 25$ per month. I think they've raised it to 35$. It is pay as you go, no contract. You register a credit card # and can pay right from your phone. You can buy inexpensive phones from discount stores and call them to register. You can stop whenever you want. Mine has 300 minutes per month, unlimited texting, and internet. I know she wouldn't use all that but it is there anyway. You could choose the easiest phone to use and program the numbers for her. The only other thing to do would be maybe buy her a track phone and buy minutes for it. You could get her a car charger and keep it in her glove box or purse. Then she would have it for emergencies away from home. I would even put it in a case with large print directions since older people get so flustered with technology. Good Luck with whatever you decide.

We have a virgin mobile also - $20 for every 90 days or something like that, and the credit roll over up to a certain extent. I have it set as auto-pay every 3 months and it becomes like $16 instead. They have different type of phones you can choose from.

golddust -sorry, I'm probably being dense here, but why can't you add her to your family plan? For $10/month, I have a line for my mom. She lives 1500 miles from us, but it doesn't matter. It's the best $10 I spend each month!

If you are looking for a cheap plan, then I think virgin mobile is great, we do the $20 every 90 days and have the el-cheap-o phones.

If you are asking about a specific phone and just want to add her to your plan, I would go with the most basic phone you can get, a cheap one. Even the cheapest ones you can pre-program numbers into. This is probably the easy way to go too if she is likely to just leave it plugged into the car, easy to replace. I would also laminate an index card or something with easy instructions on how to access the pre-programmed numbers, just in case of memory lapses.

Bestyears, this is what we are trying to do. I stated that in my second post. (I apologize for being windy.) I'm looking for a simple model phone that will work for her. It needs to be fool proof. Hopefully from Verizon bit I am open to other alternatives. She is almost 90 years old and was likely never the fastest car on the track. We need simple.

I have seen a TV commercial for a simple, basic phone for elderly, who are not too tech-savy. In the commercial, the lady is older, daughter is "showing" it to her, numbers were large - it looked like something older folks could use. Just can't remember the name of it.

You aren't asking for this kind of advice, but I would be more worried about her continuing to drive when she seriously loses track of time and isn't able to realize that she should not be behind the wheel after dark for the first time. That's when she should have called or gone back into the store to ask for help. I'm saying this because of a couple of personal experiences...one, a friend's mother who disappeared in her car for 2 days and no one knew she was gone. She drove from Portland Oregon and was found in Northern CA, only because a mini mart/gas station employee noticed someone preying on her for money when she stopped to buy gas and delayed her and called the police. The second story does not have as good an ending, and I don't want to scare you more than necessary, but suffice it to say another friend's mom ended up about 50 miles from home and didn't survive. i would hate to think of anyone else's parents in the same circumstance.

Do you think your mil will remember to take a cell phone, remember to keep it charged, remember to call you if she was in trouble? If you believe she is still competent to be driving but won't be able to figure out how to use a cell phone, what about one of those tracking devices that can be put on cars to track teens? There are portable gps units but all are battery operated and need to be kept charged, too.

Just some things to consider, although you probably already have.

The best bet is a Tracfone. You pay as you go, for instance, I only pay ninety dollars a year which is about one thousand minutes due to the fact that I only use it to order food on the way home or for emergencies. You can put in the numbers for her and program them to number 1, 2, etc. Small investment. If you go to the site you can get the phone free with one years minutes.

Golddust, my oldest brother bought my 82-year-old mom a cellphone a few years ago and she really struggles with it. In a panic situation, she just wouldn't be able to use it. When your MIL was lost and driving the wrong way, she KEPT driving as she probably didn't know where/when to turn around, and wouldn't have had the ability to use a cell phone in her panic, especially at night. And like Olychick said, keeping the phone charged and all that might be a bit too much for MIL.

What about the kind of panic button that older folks wear on a bracelet or cord around the neck? That would not only protect MIL in her car, but would also help her if she fell at home or got disoriented in public, etc. The can be programmed with several numbers and can be two-way communicators as well. I don't know if they have tracking devices in them, but I would think some of them do.

Golddust, your plate is very full with the newborn great-grand-baby at one end of the spectrum and MIL at the other. Your family is blessed to have someone as loving as you!

I can relate at 70, you can't get me out past 3pm or if the roads are bad. And have to admit I've gotten lost in the sunshine making a wrong turn. I've gotten good at U-turns ASAP. Plus I can trip over a dust bunny, which is a long explanation.

90 is a bit old in my age opinion for driving. Plus adding anything new electronic wise is not easy. As we age we really do not know that our sight isn't what it was, the gradual change feels normal. Also our balance. Depth perception goes downhill.

My background is long time IT, but now use a simple phone with large screen font. It did have to be programable for options, but many times all I want to do is call or answer. I'd like to get one of those old 50s hand held available to hook into a cell. Walk down the street or in the store with it and show off my age.

There was a thread long ago that asked why older people tend to not redecorate, keep their houses the same as has been forever. My answer was it is a known environment, everything familiar in it's place. The older we get the more this is safe and getting rid of lots of in the way items.

I still paint the house, restore furniture, remodel. But do know that climbing a ladder is becoming iffy and usually have someone hanging around when getting into suspect projects. My creativity will not let me change what I've done forever. I hate the thought that this can change and would like to be as brilliant/able as some of the 90 year olds are...when I get there.

Agree that perhaps someone who works with the elderly could visit your mom and suggest safety options. There are so many possibilities for making all safer and easy to use units available which can help in keeping her in touch should an emergency occur.

It is wonderful you care so much. I know that even at my age my daughter has her eye on me far more than necessary. But this love is welcomed.

Goldust, a few years ago I got my grandson his first cell phone from Verizon for under $50 and added him to our account for $10 a month. The phone only had 5 buttons that were pre-programmed. The center button was red and was set for 911, the other 4 buttons we programmed to dial his Mom, Dad my husband and myself. It does have GPS (which is extra each month) so we could find him wherever he was. I am not sure Verizon still has that model but it may be worth exploring. HTH

I have much to say on this topic - BTDT - but to first answer your question, I googled "simple Verizon phone" and PC magazine suggests this: Samsung Knack SCH-U310

Here is a link that might be useful: Simple Verizon phone

And this:
Samsung Haven SCH-U320

Here is a link that might be useful: Samsung Haven

my plan is through Verizon.

The panic button on a bracelet or cord sends a signal to your landline phone, and as soon as you are out of range, it won't help you. It's something for people with large yards to consider.

We went down this road with my MIL. We installed a GPS tracking device on the car so that at any moment we could check on the internet and know where the car was, whether it was in motion or parked and where it had been. It costs about $40 per month for the tracking service plus a couple hundred dollars for the unit and installation.

Get her comfortable with using the cell phone by making her use it. Call her a few times a week on her landline and ask her to call you back on the cell.

Thanks everyone.

She just renewed her license in September. She has her first pair of glasses and passed the driving part of her test. The incident led ti a huge conversation between the three sons, who wanted to take her license. I defended her for now. They just dont want her putting them out. (Her sons pull in her driveway with their car in reverse. They can barely tolerate her.) This is the first time she has done anything like this so it is Strike 1. It was a large store where she couldn't see outside. I have done similar stupid things, like forget my clear glasses and drive home at night in My prescription sunglasses.

She has a pricy button she wears but Gray is right. It is attached to her land line. She lives in the Silicone Valley so commute traffic gets bad.

Will check out the Samsung and the phone for the grandson sounds perfect.

Apologies...I posted in the wrong thread. But the knack is what two of us in the family has. Allows simple or plenty of other options. Easy to see and buttons are larger than the norm.

We bought my dad a Tracfone for Christmas last year, thinking he would use it for emergencies only and really thinking he may never use it (this is a guy who's never used an ATM card, and he is a very youthful 76). He loves it! He was even able to call me back once when I called his number by mistake and hung up after only one ring. That impressed me ;)

The Verizon phones that were linked are old; chances are they are not sold any more- the article is from February 27, 2009.

I really appreciate all of your suggestions. Love this place!

Now that I have more time.. My old neighbor & his lady friend had trac fones. He either had me do the minutes on both phones or went to Radio Shack because it was the only place that would do it for him. The last time I put minutes on his cell phone; it was pretty involved. He had to purchase the card then scratch it off & reading the numbers on the scratch off were a pain; then having to enter it into the phone.

We have verizon; I'm not sure what type of pay as you go phones they have but they're expensive to do it that way. Last time I looked it was $30 a month plus minutes charge. I know people that do other pay as you go; Boost; virgin mobile & they are cheaper; especially if she's not going to use it much.

I have never seen the one "elderly" phone in person but the pictures look good. The problem she may have is learning to use the address book or having to see the numbers to enter them in. If she can see the numbers; she may not see the screen. My 46 year old eyes are starting to have problems lol

One thing to consider would be a case that she can wear around her neck; get her into the habit of having it with her in case she ever falls getting the mail or where ever because my neighbor did fall going into his house; I don't know how he managed to get up & climb 6 steps to call 911. Of course he'd just brought his trac fone into the house & put it on the table; then went outside to finish unloading his car.

The Samsung Haven is still available from Verizon

Here is a link that might be useful: Samsung Haven

For my pre-paid Verizon plan, I put $50 in the account and it lasts about six months. I add the money online when I get an email telling me it's low. I used to pay $34 a month for a phone a barely used.

OK, I went to Verizon, AT&T and Radio Shack. I checked all the phones available and ordered her a Jitterbug. They were on special for $49+ and I selected the 200 minute plan for $19.99 per month. (They were having a double your minutes for life offer.) No contract. Comes with a car charger.

These phones were created for Seniors from conception. The phones even simulate a dial tone. Just what we needed.

They have another option that I plan to talk to her about when she comes Thursday. It's a button that is not tied to a land line and she can communicate with the operator through it. That is $14.99 but it's smaller than her phone and she can wear it in the day and charge it by her bed at night.

For 1/2 the cost of her 'Help I have fallen and can't get up' button, she can have a cell and a button that will work anywhere. I'm just not sure how she feels about charging the thing every night and it won't work if she doesn't charge it.

I chose Red so she can see it in her purse easier than black.

Interesting - is there an internet link to details about the button?

golddust, you should also have her practice making and receiving calls with it. It needs to become second nature to her, otherwise she may forget how to use it in an emergency. I would have the practice sessions every few days at first.

Yes, Terriks. I totally agree. That is why I made the purchase a priority as she is coming Thursday to spend a week with us over Christmas. The phone will be delivered here so I can evaluate how well she does with it while she is here.

During the week she is here, I'll have a better sense of how well she might do with a button that needs charged before I order it. The concept is great but I need to see what the reality is. The phone has a 30 day return policy.

Gray, here it is. Sorry for ignoring you in my last post. This web site has information on both the Jitterbug and the 5 Star Urgent Response button.

Here is a link that might be useful: 5star urgent response button

Thanks Golddust!