Video calls

Turkish Delight

Registered User
Oct 28, 2019
10
0
Hi,
Does anyone have any experience with the various video calling gadgets available?
I want my mum to be able to see and chat to her friend of 70yrs, who lives 100miles away. They do try to chat once a week but mum's hearing seems variable despite new aids. I am planning to drive a day trip next year, fingers crossed they are well, but need mum to recognise her friend. I took her for a visit last year and it was a disaster - mum didn't recognise her friend as she had gone grey many years ago, although they had met many times when mum was more at herself. Her friend was brilliant with her, but I cried as I realised just what was happening to my mum.
This sentimentality leads me to want to repeat the visit as a day trip. Mum likes sitting in the car and I am happy to drive. But I need mum to be well aware of how her friend looks now and I think her weekly phonecalls could be enhanced by a visual input too.
It needs to be simple to use, my brother (blissfully still on the wagon and even becoming a person I could like again) is living with her but isn't tech savvy, mum's friend is a wonderfully intelligent lady who could learn quickly.
Would any of you amazing people have tried this type of technology and have you any advice?
 

silkiest

Registered User
Feb 9, 2017
865
0
There are lots of different ways to do video calls.
Many apps have sound and video capability. FaceTime if both have apple devices is very clear, google duo, WhatsApp, portal from facebook, viber, Skype ( although I've found it to be very hit and miss with quality) etc
I use WhatsApp for both video calls and texting - my 87 year old partially deaf dad finds the sound quality on his tablet is much better than his telephone. He also has visual problems and we tried borrowing different sized devices as the small ones though easier to hold in the hand have such small settings. We eventually settled on a Huawei 10inch tablet as the amount of pixels and picture quality was comparable to the iPad at a much lower price. We have put lots of photos of family and the local moorland that he loves and can no longer visit on it and he loves this also.
Good luck, I think your choice of buying a device and which apps to use will in part be guided by what technology is in the home, but most devices rely on broadband and both parties need a good connection- fibre ie 'fast' broadband gives smoother better quality sound and pictures.
My mum has cognitive impairment - she constantly blames her hearing aids but at the memory clinic assessment it became very clear that the problem is her lack of understanding of many words rather than hearing. If mum says she cannot hear I have stopped shouting as it makes no difference - I just try to explain the same thing using different words which often helps.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
138,149
Messages
1,993,409
Members
89,807
Latest member
elbazcat