Things To Do If Elderly Parents Don't Answer Phone

It's naturally troubling when you call your elderly parent several times and they don't pick up the phone. You may find yourself thinking of the worst, which does not make the situation any better. What you need to do is compose yourself and take action.

If your elderly parent does not answer the phone, you can try reaching them through their other means or pay them a visit and personally check in on them. If you are unable to do this, you can call a neighbor to check on them or contact the police to perform a wellness check.

1. Try To Contact Them Through Another Platform

Some older folks can keep up with technology and know their way around a laptop or desktop computer. If your elderly parent has a computer at home, they are likely to have one or more video conferencing software installed. Try contacting them there.

It could be that they are not answering the phone because they do not hear it ringing. Perhaps it was accidentally put on silent mode, or they may have misplaced it and cannot hear it ringing from where it is.

2. Call a Neighbor To Check on Them

If you live some distance away from your elderly parents, it is best for their well-being and your peace of mind to have a trusted neighbor you can count on in these situations.

Children of some elderly folks entrust the neighbor with a key to their parent's home so they can easily check on them when needed.

3. Go Over To Their Place and Personally Check on Them

This may not be the easiest thing to do, but if you can make the time and are within reasonable driving distance from your parent's home, you should check on them personally.

If your parents could not answer the phone due to some sort of distress, you will be glad you dropped in and came to their aid.

4. Ask the Police To Perform a Wellness Check

You might be living too far away from your parents. Perhaps you are in a different state, and if you do not have another platform to reach them or a neighbor to call, you will understandably feel helpless.

Citizens concerned about another individual's welfare can place a 911 call and request a wellness check. The police department in the jurisdiction will send a law enforcement officer to the address you provide and check on the individual in question.

Wellness checks have saved countless lives. One could very well save your parent's life and get them the medical assistance they require. However, dialing the police should be the last resort.

5. Get Them a Personal Emergency Response System

In some cases, older adults with mobility problems cannot reach the phone in time before it stops ringing. A personal emergency response system (PERS) is a device that can send an alert to a medical response team and also notify you if your elderly parent has an emergency. This device should be on the person and is typically in the form of a pendant or a bracelet.

Initially, a person wearing a PERS had to manually press a button to call for help. But technological advances have seen automated fall detection systems come to the fore.

When you regularly call your elderly parents, they feel appreciated. But how often should you contact them? Click on the link to find the answer.

About Chip Mitchell

Chip Mitchell is the founder of Growing Gray USA. With over a decade of experience owning a home care company, he has helped hundreds of families navigate the complexities of caring for aging parents.