Home Safety - Phone Tips For The Awesome Caregiver

By: Dale Adams
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:23:11
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Many of us have electronic cordless phones that are convenient. These phones have one major flaw that all caregivers should be aware of. If your electricity goes out you will not be able to communicate with these phones. Every caregiver should have a phone that is operable even if there is no power available in the home. During emergencies when the power goes out, would be the worst time for a caregiver not to be able to receive or make calls.

You want your phone to be near you and it is a good idea to have a phone in every room of the house excluding where your relative naps. Phones that offer a blinking light in addition to the ring are nice to have when vacuuming. If you have a cordless phone you want to be sure to have a back up battery supply. We have a tendency to leave these phones off of the cradle for too long and the batteries get drained. Eventually these batteries will fail to recharge and they will die. Many people make the mistake of buying a new phone when all they need is a new battery. They normally die right when you need it the most so it is wise to have other phones and to keep them close to you to prevent leaving them off of the recharging cradle.

If you don’t have caller ID you should obtain this service. If a doctor’s office calls you it may offer you the direct number you need to respond to their message while you were away from the phone. It will also enable you to screen calls and use your time more efficiently. Your time is precious and unnecessary phone calls that can be avoided will minimize stress and enhance your productivity. Another benefit of having caller ID is to have a record of any telemarketers who call your phone number when you are on the Do Not Call List. These organizations that make these illegal calls face stiff federal fines over $10,000.00.

Phones are something we rarely think about cleaning and they are full of germs. It is wise to clean them with antiseptic wipes often. The oil on our hands trap the germs on the phone where water will not clean them effectively. You also don't want a water soaked cloth allowing water into this electrical device. Antigerm wipes offer the best method.

If you are assisting your relative with long distance care and they have a concerned neighbor, you can buy a device that lights up and or rings outside whenever their phone rings inside. A ringing or blinking phone device that goes unanswered would send the neighbors over to check on their safety. Although I recommend a life saving notification product, this will offer an economical safety alert. However, you need to be certain only trusted individuals can see or hear this device.

You will also want to sign up for both the state and federal Do Not Call List to avoid telemarketing calls. I had a creative friend that was also a caregiver. He claimed to have a way to create his own Do Not Call List. He bought a small boat horn and earplugs from a local sporting goods store. When telemarketers would call he would have his relative cover her ears or he would go outside where she could see him, and give them a good blast over the phone. I witnessed stress relieving laughter from them both and telemarketers who quickly hung up the phone 100% of the time. Bless the creative minds of hard-working Americans. I recommend that you sign up on the Do Not Call List by calling them at 1-877-382-4357. You can find more information by visiting www.donotcall.gov. However, boat horns are nice to have around during emergencies.

You are the Awesome Caregiver and you determine who enters your home via door or phone.

Article source: Expert Articles