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Ask HN: Best Video Call Solution for Elderly

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31–40 of 66 posts

Re: Ask HN: Best Video Call Solution for Elderly

#31
Sadly these ipad/iphone/facetime combos only work if everyone in your family is on Apply. In the ROTW, that's not so common...

My mum, who's got dementia, can just about work her portal to make and receive calls.

I've heard giving them an android tablet with Skype app set to auto-answer may be the most foolproof x-platform way.

Re: Ask HN: Best Video Call Solution for Elderly

#32
post #18
post #2

Tablet with Kid/Kiosk mode to only allow one app? E.g. iPad with Facetime?

I tried doing that for my family and iOS has this wierd restriction where it drops all incoming calls automatically when you use Kiosk/SingleApp mode. Even if FaceTime is open in foreground.

You could also limit the iPad to running Facetime only in Apple Configurator.

Re: Ask HN: Best Video Call Solution for Elderly

#33
post #24

When people make suggestions for this they underestimate how complicated their suggestion can be from a UX perspective. Sometimes your user is someone who can't text, longs for the days when a telephone rang and the UX was to simply grip the receiver and put it to their ear. Even a traditional tablet can be a pain because the user has to spend time finding the wake button when it's sometimes styled identically to the…

You’re quite right. I tried to give my grandparents an iPad, but a few months ago I spent two or three hours trying to get them to reboot it and logged into FaceTime (over the phone). About half of that was literally trying to get them to reboot the iPad. They just couldn’t find and then hold down the power button. They were struggling to see it, and then struggled to hold down the button for long enough without releasing it. It was really really hard for them. I eventually gave up, and they were very frustrated with the iPad and themselves.

Re: Ask HN: Best Video Call Solution for Elderly

#36

My grandparents are in their early 80s or late 70s and aren't very open to learn new technologies. For the past 7 years they used and iPad (one of the early models 2nd or 3rd generations) and it served them well. I've introduced the the family contacts, put FaceTime and Photo library on the first screen and it seems ok for them. I've also annotated what volume button do and teach them that if they have a problem with…

This is a problem I’ve experienced as well. As apple devices get much older, you run into things like password nags much more frequently. This is extremely off putting for someone who isn’t familiar with tech. Eventually some apps just stop working at all. Then you try to give them a new device, and it’s just similar enough to be extra confusing.

Re: Ask HN: Best Video Call Solution for Elderly

#37
post #24

When people make suggestions for this they underestimate how complicated their suggestion can be from a UX perspective. Sometimes your user is someone who can't text, longs for the days when a telephone rang and the UX was to simply grip the receiver and put it to their ear. Even a traditional tablet can be a pain because the user has to spend time finding the wake button when it's sometimes styled identically to the…

I'd like to buy you a beer. Where are you located?

Re: Ask HN: Best Video Call Solution for Elderly

#38
post #24

When people make suggestions for this they underestimate how complicated their suggestion can be from a UX perspective. Sometimes your user is someone who can't text, longs for the days when a telephone rang and the UX was to simply grip the receiver and put it to their ear. Even a traditional tablet can be a pain because the user has to spend time finding the wake button when it's sometimes styled identically to the…

You’re quite right. I tried to give my grandparents an iPad, but a few months ago I spent two or three hours trying to get them to reboot it and logged into FaceTime (over the phone). About half of that was literally trying to get them to reboot the iPad. They just couldn’t find and then hold down the power button. They were struggling to see it, and then struggled to hold down the button for long enough without rele…

FWIW, this can also be done with Settings -> General -> Shut Down.

Re: Ask HN: Best Video Call Solution for Elderly

#39
I use a combination of a conventional phone with FaceTime on an iPad with my 90 years old mother. I call her on the phone (which works much better with her hearing aid), and then I connect through FaceTime for the video. If there are any technical issues, I can walk her through them. We have been doing this every evening for the past three months without any insurmountable problems. Having the iPad on a dock helps, as it keeps the orientation constant.

Re: Ask HN: Best Video Call Solution for Elderly

#40
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I tried doing that for my family and iOS has this wierd restriction where it drops all incoming calls automatically when you use Kiosk/SingleApp mode. Even if FaceTime is open in foreground.

You could also limit the iPad to running Facetime only in Apple Configurator.

That's exactly the case where iPad starts dropping calls.
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