Rearranging furniture often makes it easier to use the phone. Placing a table near a favorite seat and placing the phone on this table can save steps. This may require some new wiring. To prevent a fall, avoid having long telephone wires cross the floor where people will be walking. Telephone Devices for Hand Impairments New phone features can help older people with arthritis or other conditions that limit use of the hands and fingers.
Many older persons have difficulty pushing buttons.
Manually dialing a rotary phone can be difficult for a person with limited finger dexterity. These are useful because you do not have to continue pushing a long series of numbers if you get a busy signal or if you want to call the same person twice or more in a row. By pushing only one or two buttons, the phone will automatically dial the correct sequence of numbers. The raised large buttons on this template are easier to push than the phone's original buttons. Older persons also often have difficulty holding the handset.