Page 20 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, November 3, 2023 avy n v y y avvyavvy S oravvy S ioreniioor io iori by Jim Miller Top TV Remotes for Elderly Seniors Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend some simplified universal television remotes for seniors? My 88-year-old dad, who lives in a retirement community, has some dementia and gets confused with all the buttons on his remote. As a result, he keeps accidently reprograming his TV set. Searching Son Dear Searching, Most modern TV remotes – that come with dozens of unnecessary buttons – can be confusing for anyone to operate but can be especially challenging for elderly seniors. Fortunately, there are several universal TV remotes available that are specifi cally designed for older adults with vision, memory, or confusion issues, as well as those that are technologically challenged. These remotes have bigger buttons and paired down options that make them much easier to see and use. Here are three top choices to consider. Senior-Friendly Remotes The two most popular simplifi ed TV remotes on the market today are the “Flipper” and the “EasyMote.” Both of these are infrared (IR) only remotes intended for those who use traditional cable/satellite boxes or their TV’s internal tuner. They are not designed for people who use streaming media devices and will not work with devices that are controlled via Bluetooth or radio frequency (RF). If you’re not sure how your dad’s TV is controlled, point his remote at the ground in the opposite direction from the device, and then press a button. If the remote still executes the command, then it’s using Bluetooth or Radio Frequency (RF) signals. The Flipper, which is a top-rated remote, works with all major TVs including cable, satellite and digital TV receiver boxes. Available for $40 at FlipperRemote.com, this lightweight, remote has a tapered design that makes it easy to hold, and for simplicity it has only six large color-coded tactile buttons that are exposed to control the power, mute, volume up/down, and channel up/down. Flipper also off ers an optional “favorite channel” feature that will let you program up to 30 of your dad’s favorite channels and eliminate the useless channels he never watches. And it has a built-in keypad hidden behind a slide-down panel. This will give your dad the ability to directly punch in a desired channel, while keeping the remote simple and uncluttered. The Flipper remote can also be locked to prevent accidental reprograming. The other popular senior-friendly remote that’s worth a look is the EasyMote (see EasyMote.us), which is available on Amazon.com for $18. This lightweight remote, which controls most TV and cable boxes, also comes with six large easy-to-see buttons (on/off , mute, channel up and down, and volume up and down buttons) that light up when pressed, which is nice feature if your dad watches TV in the dark. It also comes with a handy wrist strap to prevent misplacing the remote but can be removed anytime. Multi-Device Remote If the Flipper or EasyMote is too basic for your dad’s entertainment system, another simplifi ed remote that off ers the ability to control multiple devices is the “GE Big Button 2-Device Universal Remote” – also available at Amazon.com for $9. This IR remote has an ergonomic design with large buttons that will let him control up to 2 audio/video components such as TV, cable/satellite receiver, Blu-ray/DVD player, Roku box, Apple TV and other streaming media players and sound bars. In addition to power, volume, channel, mute buttons and number pad, this remote also off ers a previous channel, sleep timer and input buttons for convenience. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “Th e Savvy Senior” book. OBITUARIES Anna M. (Smith) Murphy Of Saugus. Entered into eternal rest after a brief illness in the Massachusetts General Hospital on Tuesday, October 17, 2023. She was 66 years old. Born in Malden, Anna lived in Saugus for many years. She graduated from Northeastern University with a Master's Degree in Physical Therapy and worked for the VNA as a Physical Therapist. Beloved daughter of the late Arnold Smith and Florence (Badolato) Smith; wife of Daniel P. Murphy; dear and devoted mother of Daniel P. MurCity of Malden Community Preservation Committee Monthly Meeting and Public Hearing Agenda Wednesday, November 15, 2023, 6:00 PM Monthly Meeting and Public Hearing Agenda Hybrid City Hall Room #105 (in-person) Live streamed via Zoom (virtual) On March 29, 2023, Governor Healey signed legislation extending certain COVID-19 relief measures including extending remote meetings for public bodies. The same provisions which permitted public bodies to meet remotely, or convene in a hybrid manner, have been extended through March 31, 2025. This extension allows public bodies to continue to meet remotely or to meet in a hybrid manner, without a quorum of the public body physically present at a meeting location. The law requires that a public body provide “adequate, alternative” access to remote meetings. Additional information/guidelines for the public can be found here: https://www. mass.gov/service-details/updated-guidance-on-holding-meetings-pursuantto-the-act-extending-certain-covid-19-measures. Members of the public who wish to attend remotely can do so using the following information: https://cityofmalden.zoom.us/j/94555285228 Webinar ID: 945 5528 5228 Or join by phone from the US: +1 646 518 9805 or +1 929 436 2866 If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, please contact Maria Luise, ADA Compliance Coordinator at mluise@cityofmalden.org or 781-397-7000, Ext 2005 Agenda 1. Call to Order/ Roll Call 2. Public Hearing a. 0013_Linden Rink b. 0015_Oak Grove Community Building c. 0018_15 Ferry Street 3. Adjournment of Public Hearing and Start of CPC Monthly Meeting 4. Approval of Meeting Minutes from October 2023 5. Status on Ongoing Projects 6. Other Business 7. Adjournment of CPC Monthly Meeting Public Comment Period on Projects Open Now – Nov 28, 2023 Malden CPC invites members of the public to submit comments on projects by attending the Public Hearing to testify in person, or to share written comments via the survey which can be accessed via this hyperlink or the QR code below: https://forms.gle/fgZbgJhLZedeipNx9 November 03, 10, 2023 phy,III and his wife, Jennifer of Wellesley, Kristen Cassarino and her husband, Anthony of Saugus and Alexandra Murphy of Saugus; dear sister of Arnold C. Smith, Jr. and his wife, Ellen of Framingham, Paul S. Smith and his wife, Diane of NC and Richard B. Smith and his wife, Angela of Malden; loving grandmother of Jacob and Kyle Murphy and Ella, Dominik and Caylee Cassarino. Relatives and friends were respectfully invited to attend Anna's visiting hours in the Cafasso & Sons Funeral Home, Everett Sunday, Oct. 22. Her funeral was from the funeral home on Monday with a funeral Mass that followed in the Sacred Hearts Church, Malden. Entombment Holy Cross Chapel Mausoleum, Malden. In lieu of fl owers, contributions in Anna's memory to the New England Animal Shelter, 347 Highland Ave., Salem, MA 01970 would be sincerely appreciated. Mary (Mae Crawford) Summers A longtime resident of Malden, passed away on Tuesday, October 24th, after a brief illness. Mary was born in OBITUARIES | SEE PAGE 21
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