Best mobile phone/SOS phone for an 89 and a half year old Dad

I have seen "big button" phones advertised, but don't know the name. Have you tried googling ? Alternatively you could contact someone like Age Concern, I am sure they would be glad to advise.

Have a look at the Doro 409, available at Tesco, Amazon and other retailers.
This phone is clam-shaped and has large buttons and display. It is advertised as being for the elderly or disabled. If you google the name there is a Youtube review which shows it in detail. Good luck!

Just watched the Youtube review of the Doro 409 in full. It includes an SOS button which when held down sends a preset text to up to 10 numbers. Sounds ideal !

Many thanks for these recommendations - I have sent my Dad the link to the ?Which report which also says the Doro 409 is a good one for his kind of use. And he can get it in his local Tesco and maybe use his points. Thank you everyone.

We had a personal alarm system set up for FIL at his home in Oxfordshire, organised after he had an accident and went into hospital. He was assessed for how much help he needed by the Local Health Authority (think you can ask at the Doctors for where to go). It was certainly much better value than a privately purchased one and they were very diligent. Worked well until he became too confused and kept forgetting to wear it, then we realised we had to go to Plan B, then it was C, then D.....but hey ho.

Hello HildaW - thanks for advice. At the moment DF is extremely independent and isn't keen on what he calls 'interference', but will keep this in mind for the future. Thanks again.

Grandslam, good luck! Its a fine line to tread but if you can keep up a very gentle pressure for him to accept help from several sources i.e. not just you, it is so much better. Sometimes they do need to have it explained that by their not letting you 'interfere', they are actually making more worry and work for you. Also a little incident can escalate into a real drama if help is not nearby. Our FIL was doing fine with us popping over every week, doing his cleaning, helping with paperwork and just making sure he was eating well etc to all of a sudden needing a full on hospital stay and weeks of convalesance just because he had a bit of a 'funny turn' in his bath and could not get out He ended up staying in the cold bath 24hrs getting very weak until someone calling at his front door heard his voice calling for help. Then the police were called to gain entrance etc etc. We were 5 miles away at the end of a phone but completely unknowing. It was a huge drama that was all so unneccessary and was very upsetting and embarrassing for FIL. He happily had the alarm system installed then, but it was a bit of a case of 'horses and stable doors'.