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FediThing πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ

Elderly relative unable to use a mobile phone ("What button do I press?"), we managed to get them an old-style dial telephone which works from a SIM card.

Even though it's internally a mobile phone, externally it works exactly like an old dial phone, so the relative's muscle memory lets them instinctively know how to use it 🀩

To receive calls you just lift the receiver, then put it down when you've finished. To make calls, you lift receiver and dial. It even has an artificial dialtone added in when you lift to make a call.

The model we bought is the "Opis 60s Mobile", couldn't find anyone else making this though.

#Dementia

24 Nov 2023 at 12:59 | Open on social.chinwag.org
33 comments
FediThing πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ

p.s. For anyone interested, the manufacturer's web page about their phones is at:

opis-tech.com/en/desktop-mobil

24 Nov 2023 at 13:17 | Open on social.chinwag.org
FediThing πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ

p.p.s. Although it works externally like a dial phone, it is totally wireless and works anywhere. It is internally a mobile phone connected to mobile networks, so if relative goes to hospital or whatever they can take the phone with them and it will still be exactly like using it at home.

24 Nov 2023 at 13:32 | Open on social.chinwag.org
FediThing πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ

p.p.p.s. Just to make clear, this isn't going to be a good solution for everyone, it just happened to fit with what we needed.

We had already tried simplified button phones (the ones with the red, green and numbered predials) but relative couldn't get into habit of pressing green to answer. Lifting a receiver was more natural to them.

Your situation may vary, dialing may be very difficult without preset buttons, but we were mainly trying to get a phone they were able to answer!

Also, manufacturer isn't selling this as a dementia aid, just as a dial phone which works on mobile networks. (And they make old-style button phones too!)

p.p.p.s. Just to make clear, this isn't going to be a good solution for everyone, it just happened to fit with what we needed.

We had already tried simplified button phones (the ones with the red, green and numbered predials) but relative couldn't get into habit of pressing green to answer. Lifting a receiver was more natural to them.

24 Nov 2023 at 14:46 | Open on social.chinwag.org
GoatsLive

@FediThing We replaced my mother in law's cell phone with a desk telephone that has photographs on the buttons so she can call by pushing a picture!

24 Nov 2023 at 14:49 | Open on mastodon.social
Dr.Implausible

@FediThing Thank you for sharing this. Bookmarked (for when needed).

I noticed it says it works with 2G networks? Curious if that'll work here in Canada as well.

opis-tech.com/en/opis-60s-mobi

24 Nov 2023 at 13:24 | Open on mastodon.online
FediThing πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ

@drimplausible

There's a 4G model too which should work on more networks.

It's a Europe-based company so I assume they're mainly looking at European frequencies, but they have a page about US providers if that's any help? (opis-tech.com/en/support/docum)

24 Nov 2023 at 13:26 | Open on social.chinwag.org
FediThing πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ
Dr.Implausible

@FediThing Ah, thank you. That addresses some of my questions.

I like their approach, relying on the affordances and their familiarity

(I'm also big on tactile interfaces over touchscreens.)

Love this solution.

24 Nov 2023 at 13:32 | Open on mastodon.online
FediThing πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ

@drimplausible

Yeah, think tactile has been abandoned way too easily.

On modern smartphones you have to look at a screen, read the labels, then press or slide a particular area of the screen etc just to answer a call. It's complicated and unintuitive. I can understand why my relative has trouble with this, and maybe all of us will have trouble with it one day.

24 Nov 2023 at 13:56 | Open on social.chinwag.org
JimmyChezPants

@FediThing

I want one now, before I have dementia, to enjoy.

24 Nov 2023 at 13:24 | Open on growers.social
FediThing πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ

@jpaskaruk

Yeah, got to say I am quite jealous about its simple interface! You could easily answer this in the dark for example.

And the handset is easy to position on your ear. By comparison, my iPhone is hard to hear because positioning your ear is more difficult on modern phones.

24 Nov 2023 at 13:29 | Open on social.chinwag.org
JimmyChezPants

@FediThing

I'm turning luddite, basically, myself - my mum just got her first cellphone and it's a lovely flipphone such as one might have used in the aughts, and with a wiffy hotspot AND a headphone jack. That's my current plan, and to carry a laptop, for my next phone.

But if one of these were to become available with wiffy, I am *exactly* the sort of weirdo who would carry it around instead.

24 Nov 2023 at 13:35 | Open on growers.social
Michael T. Bacon, Ph.D.

@FediThing That's a thing of beauty, that is.

24 Nov 2023 at 13:31 | Open on social.coop
Meguey-shaped bundle of bits

@FediThing This is so kind and so inclusive. Thanks for sharing this.

24 Nov 2023 at 13:32 | Open on dice.camp
Hank G β˜‘οΈ
Justin Derrick

@FediThing Looks great, but a VoIP model would be great too. I had Internet installed at my grandmother’s house when she started losing her independence β€” because it allowed me to visit for a week or more at a time. I can imagine a Wifi or Ethernet version (with PoE for charging) would be great for senior’s living arrangements. Having it programmed to dial specific numbers when picked up would be great too.

24 Nov 2023 at 13:53 | Open on mstdn.ca
FediThing πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ

@JustinDerrick

There are lots of modern dial phones that plug into landlines. Landline dial phones are a lot cheaper too.

In this particular case though, the relative might have to go into hospital soon, and we wanted something they could take with them and receive calls outside visiting hours.

24 Nov 2023 at 14:12 | Open on social.chinwag.org
Shoq

@FediThing That’s seems like a very odd design solution, given that a third of the elderly suffer painful arthritis in their fingers and dialing motions require multiple hand and wrist motions, where button-pushing uses far fewer. But maybe I don’t fully understand the problem or solution. Is there some published science to this β€œmuscle memory” theory besides the maker’s.

24 Nov 2023 at 13:53 | Open on mastodon.social
FediThing πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ

@shoq

Yeah, it's not going to suit everyone, if you have trouble lifting a receiver it obviously won't be for you!

Agreed that dialing is physically harder than buttons, but if you don't know which button to press then buttons aren't any use either.

It's mainly meant to give them the most familiar interface possible, which matches up with what they would have used for most of their life. Dial phones were used everywhere, and continued in use for a very long time. I remember another relative still having a dial phone in everyday use in the early 2000s.

A lot of people in Europe went straight from dial phones to mobiles.

@shoq

Yeah, it's not going to suit everyone, if you have trouble lifting a receiver it obviously won't be for you!

Agreed that dialing is physically harder than buttons, but if you don't know which button to press then buttons aren't any use either.

It's mainly meant to give them the most familiar interface possible, which matches up with what they would have used for most of their life. Dial phones were used everywhere, and continued in use for a very long time. I remember another relative still...

24 Nov 2023 at 14:06 | Open on social.chinwag.org
Shoq

@FediThing Yeah, I’m just skeptical of the claim that muscle memory has any relevance here. I grew up using rotary phones and can’t figure out WTF they are talking about. Nothing about them was easier, physically, and many dementia victims lack enough cognitive function to make all those motions, or even correlate the dial with written or memorized numbers. It just just feels like a maker overreaching on claims. The other features sound good, tho.

24 Nov 2023 at 14:18 | Open on mastodon.social
FediThing πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ

@shoq

Our relative answering calls was particularly important to us, and that doesn't require dialing.

The main problem with buttons is confusion, they don't know which buttons to press.

It's not going to be the same for everyone, but for us this was a useful solution. Answering this kind of phone is much less confusing for them, that's what I mean by "muscle memory".

" It just just feels like a maker overreaching on claims"

The maker isn't claiming any of this, their website just sells the phones.

@shoq

Our relative answering calls was particularly important to us, and that doesn't require dialing.

The main problem with buttons is confusion, they don't know which buttons to press.

It's not going to be the same for everyone, but for us this was a useful solution. Answering this kind of phone is much less confusing for them, that's what I mean by "muscle memory".

24 Nov 2023 at 14:29 | Open on social.chinwag.org
FediThing πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ

@shoq

p.s. Just for context, we had already other dementia phones such as mobiles with a limited number of buttons, but all of them were too confusing.

The simple action of lifting the receiver was easier and matched up with what they had done thousands of times before.

24 Nov 2023 at 14:31 | Open on social.chinwag.org
Sarah Russell

@FediThing This is absolutely awesome, like seriously, I applaud whomever made this a reality because this is brilliant. Now I'm thinking of my generation and how we'll be deilg with our own dimentia and the resources we'll have to deal with it when it comes our time as tech changes.

24 Nov 2023 at 13:56 | Open on disabled.social
DELETED

@FediThing @FreakyFwoof that is actually a really cool product, especially for older folk who are experiencing dementia.

24 Nov 2023 at 14:00 | Open on dragonscave.space
Nate Gullion

@FediThing honestly I want one just for nostalgia I used to have old rotary phones when I was a kid and I loved them... this is wonderful that someone is making them for your reason though. mines purely selfish πŸ˜…

24 Nov 2023 at 14:04 | Open on mastodon.art
George Girton

@FediThing @lacey I have to say, the handset design of those phones β€” which i used for decades for much longer conversations than I’m having now β€” was far superior to my iPhone 15 pro max. 🍸😺

24 Nov 2023 at 14:11 | Open on mastodon.social
FediThing πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ

@martinicat @lacey

Yes! Smartphones' flat screens look very futuristic, but their ergonomics with ears is terrible.

24 Nov 2023 at 14:14 | Open on social.chinwag.org
PNW Deb

@FediThing Awesome. My dad could have benefitted from this phone.

24 Nov 2023 at 14:21 | Open on mstdn.social
JamesK
colorblind cowboy 😷✊🏻

@FediThing Very cool. I want to carry one around in a backpack as my primary phone.

24 Nov 2023 at 14:37 | Open on mastodon.art
Kirsty-Rosina

@FediThing we have a Doro phone for my dad. Its a mobile but not Smart (no internet) and nice big buttons

24 Nov 2023 at 15:02 | Open on mastodonapp.uk
Chris Were β‚πŸ§πŸŒ±β˜•

@FediThing That's just amazing, I love it. Really tempted to get one, but it would be a frivolous expense for myself.

24 Nov 2023 at 15:03 | Open on toot.wales
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