Video Calling for the Elderly
For families supporting an elderly family member from afar
On the TV they already know. Nothing to learn, nothing to press.
Most video calling devices ask something of the person receiving the call. A button to press, an app to open, a screen to hold steady and point at your face. For a lot of older people, that is the whole reason it never sticks.
CallGenie asks nothing. It works through the television your loved one already knows how to use. You call from Microsoft Teams on your phone, tablet or computer. Their TV comes on by itself and your face appears. There is no device to find, no app to open, no password to remember and no small buttons to press.
You’ve Tried Everything to Keep Your Elderly Relative in the Loop
You have sat with Mum and shown her how to answer a video call on the tablet. You have written the steps down on a card by the phone. You have talked Dad through it over the phone more than once, and still found the tablet switched off in a drawer a fortnight later.
None of that is your fault, and it is not theirs either. For a lot of older people, being asked to learn a new piece of technology late on simply does not work. There is no reason it should have to.
Why Mainstream Video Calling Technology Fails Older People
Smartphones, tablets and video calling apps were built for people who are happy to learn and remember how they work. For someone older who has never felt at home with technology, every step is a chance for it to go wrong.
The phone has to be found, unlocked and answered. The tablet needs charging, then the right app opening. None of it is obvious if it was never second nature in the first place. Being asked to learn it now, late on, rarely sticks.
Why touchscreens often ignore older hands
There is a physical reason too, and almost nobody mentions it. Touchscreens rely on the natural moisture in our fingertips to register a tap. As we age our skin gets drier. A screen that works first time for a grandchild can ignore an older hand completely, leaving them jabbing at it, certain they have done something wrong.
They have not. The screen simply was not made for them.
Why a small screen makes it harder, not easier
Even when a call connects, a small screen held at arm’s length is hard work for older eyes and ears. The face is tiny. The voice sounds far away. It is easier, in the end, to just not bother, and that is exactly how people drift out of touch.
How CallGenie Works for an Elderly Person
The television is the one piece of technology in the house that never needed explaining. It was there before the smartphone, before the tablet, before the app. Your loved one has been switching it on for fifty years.
That is the whole reason CallGenie works. It does not add a screen to the room. It uses the one that is already there.
When you call, the television comes on by itself, or switches over if a programme is already on. Your face appears at full size, on a screen they are sitting in front of anyway. There is nothing for them to do.
When you hang up, the television goes back to whatever was on before. Nothing is left running and nothing needs switching off.
Every other option on the market solved this by introducing something new. A tablet to charge. A frame to set up. An app for the family to learn. CallGenie went the other way. It asks nothing of the person receiving the call, because it never gives them anything new to manage.
Already know it’s right for your loved one?
How One Family Found Something That Just Worked
When Anna’s family were planning her dad’s 90th birthday, they wanted a way to stay close. They live spread out across the country, and getting to see him as often as they’d like had become difficult. The trouble was, nothing they tried ever stuck.
They had all had a go at teaching him. Email, messaging apps, the lot. He simply struggled with the technology, as Anna put it, and there was no shame in that. What they needed was something he did not have to operate at all.
There is nothing for him to do. No button to press, no remote to find, no app to open and nothing to accept. As Anna says, all he needs to remember is to have the TV on standby, and they appear.
Now the whole family is back in touch, the grandchildren included, on a weekly call he looks forward to. The only complaint, Anna jokes, is that they sometimes interrupt his programmes.
“We have all attempted to teach him to email or message, but he struggles with technology. All he needs to remember is to have the TV on standby — and we appear on his screen. It gives us peace of mind, and means he can see us all, especially the grandchildren.”
Anna F.
Father, 90, family spread across the country
You Make a Call
Family or friends make a video call to CallGenie using either your smartphone, tablet, or computer using Microsoft Teams.
CallGenie Answers on the Television
CallGenie will turn on the television, and switch automatically to the input for the video call. No buttons required.
Enjoy Your Call
Enjoy having your catch up with your loved one on the big screen. When you end the call on your device CallGenie will automatically switch the television back to the previous state, whether the previous channel or back into standby.
Calls are made with Microsoft Teams. Only people you add can call in.
Why CallGenie Works So Well for the Elderly
CallGenie removes the barriers that make video calling difficult, at any stage.
Nothing to remember
No buttons to press and nothing to recall, so difficult day doesn’t mean a missed call.
Easier to hear
Voices come through the television, so they are easier to hear than a small handset.
No device to hold
No small screen to hold steady, no camera to point, no confusion about where to look.
Wakes the TV from standby
It works even if the TV has been left off. You don’t need to hope the timing is right.
Big screen, clear faces
The TV is the biggest screen in the house and the one they already know. Faces are easy to see.
It never changes
Set it up once. Whatever stage they’re at, the experience stays exactly the same.
Families have also found it useful in unexpected ways, being able to check in visually, speak directly to carers who are in the room, and in some cases stay present during a difficult moment when getting there in person wasn’t possible.
What Changes When the Tech Gets Out of the Way
Anna’s family are not unusual. The same thing happens again and again once the device stops asking anything of the person receiving the call. Families simply go back to being in touch.
“We were looking for something that was easy to use that my father did not have to operate. Before CallGenie we were using a tablet which was kept on a table next to his chair — most times he ended up knocking it off the table. It soon became apparent CallGenie was going to work for us.”
“Purchased for my elderly mother who doesn’t use computers. So useful that the call just pops up on her TV and then returns to the programme she was watching when I hang up. The grandchildren have used it to keep in touch too”
“What an excellent way to communicate with my elderly mum who is not tech savvy. She does not have to do anything technical — the system turns her TV on when I call, then goes back to how it was once I hang up. Both the sound and picture are excellent.”
“I got this from my daughter so we can keep in touch between the USA and UK. I don’t have to do anything — she just appears on my TV. When we’re done, it goes back to my programme, or turns off if I wasn’t watching anything. Brilliant.”
Tried, Tested and Trusted by Families Across the UK
Every device is set up remotely by our team. We work directly with each family before the first call is made. There are no call centres and no automated support lines, just straightforward, personal help from someone who understands what families are going through.
CallGenie is recognised by organisations that families and professionals already trust.
AgeSpace
Recommended by one of the UK’s leading eldercare guides.
NHS Highland
Listed by name in the Technology Enabled Care guide to simple video calling devices.
West Lothian HSCP
Featured as assistive technology for preventing social isolation.
Everything’s Done For You
CallGenie is built so that the only person who ever has to do anything is you, and even then, not much.
Every device is set up remotely by our own team. We work directly with you before the first call is ever made, walk you through it, and do test calls to be sure it is all working. You do not need to be technical. Families tell us it is simpler than they expected. There are no call centres and no automated support lines, just straightforward help from someone who understands what you are trying to do.
It works through your loved one’s existing television, so there is no new gadget in the house for anyone to look after. It is a one-off purchase, so there are no monthly fees and no contracts. And because nothing about it ever changes, there is nothing to forget between calls. You set it up once and it carries on working.
You May Not Have To Pay VAT
If your loved one has a long-term illness or disability, CallGenie can usually be bought free of VAT. It takes one short declaration at checkout and there is nothing to claim back afterwards.
One Less Thing to Worry About
Most families tell us the same thing once it is set up. They stopped worrying about whether the call would work and simply started calling.
If you are not sure whether CallGenie is right for your situation, we are happy to answer any questions before you buy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest video calling device for someone who isn’t tech-savvy?
CallGenie is built for exactly this. There is nothing for your loved one to learn, install, remember or press. When you call, their television comes on and your face appears. Being good with technology is not required, because no technology is ever handed to them.
Does the TV need to be switched on to receive a call?
No. CallGenie can wake the TV from standby, so even if your loved one has turned it off or fallen asleep in front of it, your call will still come through. The TV turns on by itself when you call.
What if they cannot work a touchscreen?
That is one of the most common reasons families come to us. Skin gets drier as we age, which makes touchscreens unreliable, and arthritis or a tremor makes small targets harder to hit. CallGenie has no screen to touch, so neither problem applies.
Is there a video calling device that works through the TV?
Yes, that is what CallGenie does. It connects to your loved one’s existing television and shows your call on the big screen. There is no separate gadget to manage and no small screen to squint at. When the call ends, the TV returns to whatever was on before.
Do they need to notice the call coming in?
No. The television comes on by itself and your face appears. CallGenie can also wake the TV from standby, so your call still gets through if the television has been turned off or they have dozed off in front of it.
Do I need to be technical to set it up?
No. We set everything up with you remotely, walk you through it, and do test calls to make sure it is working before you go live. The support is included and families tell us the setup is simpler than they expected.
What does it cost to run?
Nothing beyond the broadband already in the house. CallGenie is a one-off purchase with no monthly fees and no contracts. If your loved one has a long-term illness or disability, you can usually buy it free of VAT.
Will it work on their TV?
CallGenie works with most televisions and needs a broadband connection in the home. If you are not sure whether their setup is suitable, get in touch before you buy and we will check it with you.
Ready to Stay Close?
CallGenie is a one-off purchase, set up personally with our team, with no monthly fees and no ongoing contracts. If you’re not sure whether it’s right for your situation, we are happy to answer questions before you buy.
Contact Us
Ask a question or check your television will be compatible with CallGenie
Phone
+44 (0)1252 918824
Address
45 Fairhaven Avenue, West Mersea, Essex, CO5 8EZ, UK