Does that work on a Virgin line though?
I suppose one of those sophisticated devices that will not ring the phone unless its on a list of alowed numbers might be a start, but it would need some hands on help at least to start with.
Brian
Are there boxes that can do 'dialplans' on incoming calls as well as outbound? If it's on the whitelist, ring the phone, if it's international play a 'use the batphone' message, if it's withheld play 'we don't accept withheld calls', if it's giving a number but unrecognised divert it to you as the 'switchboard operator' for screening ('I'm sorry, mother-in-law is in a meeting right now...').
If there's no boxes to do that, porting the number to a VOIP service would do the trick.
Theo
You'd need to go after the owners, not the unemployed callers who are probably trying to scrape up a few pennies calling (via their employers) from home.
Theo Markettos grunted in news:tDy* snipped-for-privacy@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk:
Actually - that would be an excellent and simple way round the problem of changing Mum's number... I have a VOIP number (a free sipgate.co.uk one) which I have set to divert permanently to voicemail, and I use it exclusively for those occasions when I have to give out a real phone number but when I don't want to risk being phoned with sales calls etc for evermore. So if anybody needs to reach me, they hear *my* voice on the message and can leave me a VM, which is delivered to me either by email or as a URL. If sales droids can't get through to a human, they just hang up, therefore win-win.
So - the OP could change Mum's number and port the old one to a VOIP number. Record a personal message: "Hello, this is Doris's son; please note that Doris has changed her number, and if you wish to speak to her please leave your name and number and I'll pass it on to her" and Bob's your uncle!
Indeed you can or if she has Virgin broadband just get a subscription from VoIPfone around 2 quid a month for the number get a standalone phone keep that number strictly ex directory and her relatives can call her via VoIP and that call will be free:)...
Make up some fake chequebooks with false numbers on?
(Aren't Jeremy Clarkson's in the public domain somewhere? ;-))
For that level of control you would probably need to go for a Vigor IP PBX 2820 style PABX router, or a "Roll your Own" solution using software like asterix or similar.
The basic VoIP routers give some control - such as barring certain calling numbers or URIs, or blocking anonymous calls. The IPPABX ones do all that and in addition give all the usual voice menu and voicemail capabilities.
You could for example install one at mum's place and set her phone up as an extension. You could also have an extension at your place (physical location of IP extensions does not matter so long as they can see the internet). Set the auto attendant to answer incoming calls before ringing any extensions, and have a voice menu giving three options... 1 leave a voice mail, 2 speak to the operator (i.e. you - you can transfer the call back to mum if appropriate), or ask them to dial the extension they want. Friends and family get given the "secret" extension number, and hence can ring mum directly. Other callers get the choice of leaving a message or getting past the operator ;-)
Ofcom seems to think they are illegal (including calls from charities):
If they're illegal, it's up to statutory authorities to sort them out - it's not something to be left to some private company's discretion.
It actually states they are allowed, unless you tell them no or are TPS registered. Both of which work with most UK callers and are irrelevant to international calls.
The authorities just get the operator to do something, they don't want to use the intercept facilities for anything so minor.
3.2 billion nuisance calls isn't minor but do carry on being obtuse, Dennis.
You must be so busy answering them that I'm amazed you get anything else done.
Well said lol
Nuisance calls aren't even illegal so what do you suggest they do? Maybe if you don't want them you should get rid of your phone?
Care homes with demented residents shouldn't have open doors.
My M-I-L is in a care home who cope perfectly well with a number of severely demented residents, and other than the fact that the external doors have digital locks, it's hardly "oppressive".
Quite. We got my M-I-L a mobile for use in emergencies (before she went into care) and she simply couldn't work it. Even one designed for elderly people with large buttons & display and an "emergency" Big Red Button.
Apart from basic common sense and security, the Care Quality Commission regs say that visitors shouldn't be able to just wander in anyway, IIRC.
Well, quite. We had the exact same situation with my M-i-L. They had a confused resident who figured the front door lock out. So they changed the front door lock to one which that resident couldn't figure out. Still utterly straightforward for anybody with a full complement of marbles.
People with dementia can be cared for at home successfully - a friend of mine does fine with his mother - but it's a full time job.
How did it fail? I have essentially the same problem - with the easy to use phone & SOS button as backup if they leave the main phone off hook. I chose one that retains enough battery charge between visits...
I am toying with the idea of customising a 7" Android tablet to be elderly friendly with a few very large icons on the home screen for the most commonly used tasks including Skype to me, Phone me etc. (this obviously can fail with forgets to charge and out of battery)
Do any RNIB apps exist to already cover this (they favour Apple)?
The problem with some is that they will just forget what they mean and there is nothing you can do other than use a method they remember from the past. Try writing notes on what to do and they will probably manage to read them.
Complete bafflement. I think she was beyond the stage where she could cope with anything new with buttons on it. Shortly thereafter, complaints that the telly didn't work turned out to be caused by her trying to do it with the cordless phone we'd previously bought her. And let's not go into the digital switchover where despite giving her a simplified remote control, she couldn't cope. We think she had been selecting channels at random on the old TV until she found the programme she wanted which worked OK with 4 channels, but was hopeless with 140.
No idea. It doesn't matter any more, since she's in a care home now.
You don't have to be demented to find *that* annoying! :-)
The many different ways that one accepts a call on different mobiles never ceases to amaze (and confuse) me!
Even some DECT phones don't, by default, connect/accept when you pick them up off their stand.
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