Keep these important numbers ready at the touch of a button.
Our CapTel captioned telephones for hearing loss have plenty of helpful features, including speed dial programming on all models, as well as adding a complete easy-dial phone book and setting up dial-by-picture capabilities (in the 2400i model only). These capabilities allow you to instantly reach important people when you need to.
So, what are some essential phone numbers you should have stored in your CapTel phone?
- Close family members & friends
- Healthcare providers
- Neighbors
- Community resources
- Poison control
- Your employer
&You don’t need to program in 911 (unless you want to) because this emergency number is already designed to be quick to dial. But if you do add 911 as a speed-dial number, be extra careful – you don’t want to accidentally press that speed-dial button and find emergency responders knocking!
Let’s learn more about these essential phone numbers to add to your CapTel phone book!
Close family members & friends
The people who are closest to you are the ones you’ll be calling the most, so it makes sense to have them on your phone and accessible with speed-dial! Parents, children, siblings, best friends, and more can be added to your phone book. It’s a good idea to include people who can also be used as a trusted emergency contact for you, just in case.
Healthcare providers
There are a variety of healthcare providers whose contact information you should have in your phone, including:
- Your family doctor
- Local hospitals or urgent care centers
- Providers you see often, like your audiologist or dentist
These essential phone numbers let you easily contact the teams who care for your health whenever you have a question or need to make an appointment.
Neighbors
It’s critical to be connected to your community and look out for one another. If you’re friendly with your next-door neighbors, trade phone numbers. This way, you can have the confidence that you’ll be able to contact someone nearby who can be there quickly if you need them.
Community resources
Having local government departments in your phone, such as the non-emergency police or information line, can come in handy if you have any issues or questions about things going on in your area.
There are plenty of non-emergency situations that don’t warrant calling 911, but still need non-emergency police response. The general rule of thumb is that you should call 911 when there’s immediate danger to someone’s life, health, safety, or property. Otherwise, call your local police department.
Towns and cities also frequently have phone lines where you can find information on trash pickups, snow plowing, reporting a pothole or burnt-out street light, and other municipal services.
You can typically find non-emergency police and local information phone numbers on your town or city’s website or by searching for them online.
Poison control
Especially if there are children or animals in your household (or visiting regularly), poison control is one of the essential phone numbers to have programmed into your phone. Accidental chemical spills, animals eating things they shouldn’t, and other hazards can be scary situations you want to be prepared for.
In America, the national Poison Control number is 1-800-222-1222. This can connect you to your local poison control center.
The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center number is (888) 426-4435.
Your employer
Do you need to unexpectedly call out of work, have a personal emergency, or expect to be late? Having your employer’s number in your CapTel phone makes it easy to get in touch and saves valuable time.
Most of your essential phone numbers will be specific to your life and where you’re located. These six categories are a great place to start!
Keep reading the CapTel blog for more tips on using our captioned telephones for hearing loss!
