Wanna Jitterbug? The Cell Phone, Not the Dance
Some friends bought their mother, another Golden Oldie whom I know and adore, a cell phone – mainly to keep with her when she was out and about in case of emergency. They purchased the phone and service, charged the phone, and went over the instructions for use in detail with their mom.
P.S. To their great frustration, their mom never used the cell phone and they wound up returning it!
Sound familiar?
If your Golden Oldies need a phone that is easy-to-use as well as easy-to-read, check out the Jitterbug cell phone by Great Call. No extra frills like cameras, browsing the internet or text messaging; it was created and designed to meet the needs of our aging parents whose hearing, sight, and/or eye-hand coordination may be slowly diminishing.
Watch this quick commercial by Jitterbug below to see it in action:
Jitterbug cell phones come in two models and they both feature:
- Bright screens with large text and numbers for easy viewing
- Powerful speakers for clear sound
- Soft-ear cushions that shield outside noise and make it hearing-aide compatible
- Large (fingertip size), backlit and bright buttons make dialing easier
- On/Off switch with a familiar dial tone so you know it’s on
- Yes/No buttons for easy navigation
- Operator button to reach a live Jitterbug operator 24/7 who can make calls, provide directory assistance and add names to phone lists
The One Touch model simplifies the design even more by having only three large buttons. One connects to the Operator, the other to 9-1-1 and the third to a preprogrammed number of your choice.
Battery life is good, approximately 3+ hours of continuous talk time. The only negative physical feature is that the plug-in connection to the phone charger appears small.
Even Jitterbug’s web site is clear, easy-to-read, has detailed phone demonstrations, an extensive Frequently Asked Questions section, customer support contacts, and a store locator to find out where to purchase one.
Each model costs $147, with no long-term service contract needed. Service, also provided through Jitterbug, starts as low as $10/month, although usage charges apply. There is a $35 one-time set up fee. If not satisfied with the phone, they have a “friendly 30 day return policy.”
A girlfriend who bought her Mom a Jitterbug phone told me,
“Customer service was great. You have the option of calling them to set up all your speed dial numbers or doing it over the internet. You can add and delete numbers at any time . . . I think they are used to working with older people and had tons of patience.”
Our aging parents’ needs and abilities vary tremendously. If your parent is still active and wants to stay in touch with family and friends, it could be a great asset. However, if your parent is starting to show signs of memory loss, it may be too difficult for them to use even the One Touch Jitterbug model. I think it should be fairly easy for you and your parents to decide whether the Jitterbug cell phone is something to consider trying.
And, it would make a wonderful birthday, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or anniversary gift to Golden Oldies, while insuring our peace of mind that they can be reached, or reach you, whenever desired.
An important tip for cell phone users of all ages: Use the light from your phone screen as a flashlight if you’re caught short without enough light. I must give credit to my husband, who first used his cell phone screen light in a dimly-lit restaurant when we couldn’t read the fine print on the menu! 
Have you or anyone you know bought a Jitterbug? What has been your experience? I welcome your comments below.
Here’s to more Tender Loving Eldercare in our world!
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6 Responses to “Wanna Jitterbug? The Cell Phone, Not the Dance”
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Hi Linda,
This is a great idea. The more bells and whistles a gadget has only confuses elders more. If they become too intimidated, they won’t even try using them.
The Jitterbug sounds like a fabulous product.
You’re so right, Barbara!
A few years ago, I tried to find a simple AM/FM radio for my Dad to listen to in his bedroom. No go — couldn’t find anything he could easily operate. Had to settle for a clock radio (taped off some of the buttons to lessen the confusion) and very exact instructions written next to it, but I still think he rarely used it. Technology is certainly making life more complicated for seniors.
Sigh….I had a Jitterbug phone for a few years and hardly ever used it. And the one time I really needed it (at Logan airport) I couldn’t get through.
They did give me extra minutes but then started charging by the month so I called to stop service.
But now I have this perfectly good phone which they don’t want back. Is it just trash?
I think that, for very infrequent users, the minute cards are a better bet.
Jitterbug may be a good phone, but if you buy a second hand phone activating it with a new number is a pain in the butt. They make use send in the phone for “recalibration” and this process takes about 10 days. There customer service is slow to respond and time consuming.
They actually want to sell a new phone to every user for $150.00 A phone that is comparable to the free phones other services give away. Worth about $15.
In my case I purchase a phone from someone who’s mother passed away and I was going to give it to my mother. Called Jitterbug to activate it and after an hour of being put on hold and answering all kinds of questions about where I got the phone and my personal information, I’m told it has to be sent in.
To make matters worse, their office is only blocks away from me but they insisted that I mail it to them. The post office is farther from my home than the Jitterbug office! So I have to waste more time and money on postage and a post office visit.
Jitterbug is a scam in my opinion.
I am so glad I found this site as I was looking into the Jitterbug phone for my blind dad but I think I will keep looking as I also thought the phone was very expensive for what it offered.