Keeping in Contact by Phone Isn't All That Easy for Family Members

Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare the shall rejoice. Proverbs 23:25

My dad is hard of hearing and slow to respond to things. When his cell phone rings, it has to ring several times before my dad realizes that he needs to answer his phone. The first thing he does while the phone is still ringing is to pull it out of his pocket and stare at it. By the time the phone quits ringing, he opens it up and gets frustrated that no one is there.

 Additionally, should my dad actually answer the phone before it goes onto the recorder, he can't hear what most people are saying. He will repeatedly say my name over and over again, while I'm telling him what we did that day. If he can't hear what they are saying, he often hangs up.

Sometimes, when I've been there to help him call someone, I've witnessed Dad talk to the person a few minutes and then shut the phone without saying goodbye to the person. I asked him what happened, but he told me that he couldn't hear what they were saying, so he hung up.

We've tried to teach dad how to turn up the volume, but that doesn't work well, because he holds his hand where the volume buttons are which ends up turning down the volume. We've tried to teach dad to put the phone on speaker phone, but it's too difficult for him to remember. Sure, it's somewhat frustrating to family members who try to keep in touch with him over the miles, but they love him and know what a blessing he's been in all of our lives.

Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.



Caregiving Video: Tips to Senior-Proof Your Home to Prevent Falls
By: Dr. Jon LaPook, David McSwigan, CBS News via You Tube


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