keep or cancel phone?
Hello All-I have a question that has been on my mind for quite some time. My husband, who has dementia and is living in a boarding care facility has not used or needed his cellphone for many months now. I kept it as a just in case for the authentication code thingy but now everything is tied to my cellphone instead. I pay ATT $65-70 each month for his line and would like to know if you think I can/should cancel it-I would really like to save money wherever possible.
Comments
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I have been looking at my DW‘s cell phone and debating myself. At this point I keep it so that she can receive text text as there are members in the family and friends who do not use email which she is more comfortable with than the cell phone. Each month when I look at the situation,I wonder is it really worth it. However, any connection to the outside world that I can provide for her I’m up for, so I keep it.
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if he has not used it and does not need it, I would cancel it. No use paying for something not used.
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For a $20 one time fee you can transfer the cell phone number to Google Voice. From then on there is no cost, completely free. But you can still receive phone calls and texts. Google Voice can be set up to email you notifications of calls and texts including transliterations of voicemails that are left at that number. This is what I did so any of her friends who only knew her number could still reach her/me. If anyone is interested you can find youtube videos on how to do this and I would be happy to provide more info if interested.
You can get rid of his phone and access his number through Google Voice on your phone.6 -
It is also possible to roll the number over to a super low cost plan from Red Pocket. I also did this for my father when he was in his 90s and just needed a cell for emergencies. You get these on eBay, lowest cost plan is now $51 a year. It's not good for any data stuff but great for calls and text.
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One more choice. Sorry if these sound like sales pitches, they aren't, I just like saving money.
For those who want a more full service, but fairly cheap option, I use, for about a decade, Ryan Reynold's Mint Mobile for $15 a month. It runs on the T-Mobile network, if you have reasonable service in your area, it's good. You get unlimited calls and text, and 5Gb of data (remember data over Wi-Fi doesn't count against this). This is plenty of data for anyone over 17. ;)For each of the choices I listed you roll your existing phone number over, no loss of your number.
Good luck.
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if everything is tied to your phone now, canceling might be a good idea and one less bill to pay. Great job getting everything to your phone !!!
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My DH kept locking himself out of his phone and couldn’t use it for hours. Our granddaughter accidentally dropped her phone in the river this past summer and I gave her his phone as a replacement. He hasn’t asked about it so I look at it as a win win.
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It was time for me to upgrade my phone which caused me to redo the plan etc. I thought long and hard about her phone. It’s never used anymore. It really wasn’t the money. It was just facing facts. I guess I’m becoming less sentimental as this nightmare disease continues. I disconnected the line.
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He hasn’t used or needed the phone in months. The cost is therefore a waste of money. I vote you cancel it.
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Over 3 months ago, when we moved my mom to memory care (early stage 6), we elected not to have a phone in her room. She has mentioned the phone only one time briefly.
Meanwhile, her not having a phone has been a godsend for us. With her short term memory so short, she would call us repeatedly, with no recollection we had spoken less than 5 minutes ago. She also thought that I was two different people - an in-person version and a phone version. Since I live an hour away, it was always my practice to call her when I made it home after visiting her. As her dementia progressed, when I would call to let her know I made it home safely after our visit, she would have no recollection I had been with her that day and ask when I was coming to visit. More and more, she would complain that the phone was "broken". This was due to her forgetting how to work it (a landline phone).
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Wow-thank you all for your responses! My husband lost capability to use his phone way back in Feb./March of this year. He doesn't speak in full sentences anymore; so he isn't even able to use the house phone at his boarding facility. So I guess in my heart I know I should cancel it but, like someone mentioned, it is a tough fact to face, and yet another sad reminder my guy isn't coming back.
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Been thinking about this lately too, just hadn't yet. Need to tho
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I love your ideas. I had no idea about a couple of them. Thanks.
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I was in this same spot several months back and posted a similar question. I just ended up double/triple checking that there was no accounts associated with the number and I canceled the line. I did give a few close friends/family a heads up that the line would be cancelled. My only regret now is not doing it sooner. I still have DW phone with all the photos / contact information but have not needed to use that.
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My wife lost the ability to use devices in one fell swoop with the onset of stage 4. I see the stages clearly now in hindsight. Once you are sure that no services are connected to your loved one's cell phone number, it is probably best to just cancel it once your loved one stops using it. As I look back over the past several years, canceling her devices and services has simplified my life and saved some money.
Sadly, canceling devices and closing accounts comes with bit of grief each time you do it. However, I promise you that down the road, you will be so busy with caregiving that you will wonder why you did not do it sooner. One less thing to hassle with.
Stage 5 brought about more loss: Any device "attached to my wife's person," (think dentures, eyeglasses, hearing aids, jewelry) also had to go. These devices would otherwise be lost, destroyed, misused, or even swallowed.
This sad journey we are on includes the loss of even these small things.
Love Bill_2001
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I cancelled my DH phone several months ago. It was not being used at all and it saves about $40 a month.
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Commonly Used Abbreviations
DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
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