So this is fast becoming a little series on the relationship between me and my dad through his phone, and ability to use the dam thing.
So last time I shown the fact he got a brand new phone, he doesn’t remember how it got it and he can’t use it.
Now the universal truth:
- I doesn’t remember that he has 2 phones, who’s phone they are and how he got them , or how they work
- He can’t answer the phone for himself, you have to wait for him to call you
- He constantly thinks he needs to top them up but actually they go through the bank so he talks about giving money to the shop or to the bank, all the time
- I can’t get through to Vodaphone on the phone to get the details I need for what he has signed up for
And the behaviours have evolved and for the worse:
- It started with when he would ring me constantly, all the time, forgetting he has called. Let’s say up to 15 missed calls a day if I am not by my phone
- Then we went to him ringing me, but not managing to work the phone so it would be one ring and I could never catch it, lets say up to 20 a day
- Now he can’t even manage to prank call anymore but when he does get through, he is either not next to his phone so he doesn’t hear me say ‘hello??hello??’
The latest is he gets more and more upset when he does ring and gets through, being so happy my hear me and always wants to know I am safe. It’s also been about 3 days since he has called me.
Now some people would say why don’t you call the care home to speak to him? The thing is I know what he is like and that would be stressful for him and his paranoia, he wouldn’t speak freely and there is a chance he wouldn’t even be in anyway so then I just worry all parties for no reason!
Can technology people please come up with something viable for use for people with dementia to be able to , you know, use a phone!!
