1-810-659-####
I will remember this number forever. [TCV Editor: Telephone number abridged to prevent nuisance calls to the person who may be using this number, today.]
This was my grandparents’ home phone number for more than thirty years. It was the very first phone number I memorized. I must have dialed it thousands of times.
So, when Grandma decided to remove her home phone line, I was sad for reasons that didn’t register immediately.
Scam Calls to Grandpa with Alzheimer’s
To her, the reasoning was straightforward. Grandpa was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. He’d answered scam calls on more than one occasion. If Grandma hadn’t entered the room at just the right time, who knows what the financial damage would have been. The easiest solution was to just remove the home phone. Plus, she had a cell phone. We could just call that, instead.
We didn’t know it at the time, but losing that home phone meant that even though Grandpa still had some good years remaining, we were also losing the primary way of connecting with him.
Initially, Grandma would give her cell phone to Grandpa whenever we called. But this gradually gave way to phone calls only with her.
And with COVID-19 hitting the world, we weren’t able to get out to Michigan to visit in person.
We would eventually lose Grandpa to Alzheimer’s in March 2021.
As fate would have it, in the weeks following Grandpa’s passing, I met George. My wife and I had recently moved to a small town in New Hampshire. We lived in the town next to where George recently launched his startup—It’s My Phone (simply known as “imp”). He was building out his team and wondered if I might be interested in learning more about the company.
Why imp?
I listened as George shared his “why” for starting imp. He and his wife were exasperated with the relentless spam calls invading their home all day long. So, he made it his mission to create something that restored the peace in his house
At its core, imp is a smart landline device that stops 100% of unwanted calls. This means that no spam, scam, robo, or any other kind of unwanted call will ever again make your landline ring. It also allows for remote management, which means you can easily set imp up at your parents’ (or grandparents’) house, and then manage that landline from anywhere in the world.
imp—Simple Technology
The way the technology works is pretty simple. imp starts by pairing the contacts in your smartphone with your landline phone. From there, imp checks every call that comes through. If it’s a call imp recognizes, they are allowed to ring through. Everyone else is silently sent to voicemail without a single ring.
As George walked me through how everything works, showing me the various features, I couldn’t help but think of how useful this would have been at my grandparents’ house—especially in Grandpa’s later years. imp would have allowed him to be safe, given my grandmother (his primary caregiver) peace of mind when she needed to step out of the room, while also helping the rest of us stay connected to him from across the country.
George’s offer to join imp was the call to action I’d been looking for. This was a chance to join forces with a small but mighty group, dedicated to serving those in need.
Impact Upon Caregivers
In the two years imp has been available, we’ve discovered that our biggest impact is in the caregiver community. We receive emails from caregivers across the U.S. every week, sharing how imp has positively impacted both their role as a caregiver as well as their loved ones’ quality of life.
During this time, my wife and I became caregivers after as we moved Grandma from Michigan into our home in New Hampshire. The cell phone service is not great, so we installed a landline for her to keep in touch with family and friends in Michigan. Just last week imp stopped 43 calls. Even though she is under the same roof as us, it is good to know she is able to retain a sense of independence, and just as importantly, remain safe.
Exclusive Opportunity for The Caregiver’s Voice Community
We’ve launched a free six-month program for caregivers. Participants are provided with a complete imp system and full customer service for six months. To be eligible, participants must have a landline phone, Caller ID, Wi-Fi, and a smartphone. The goal of this program is to understand how imp can develop better tools and services to assist caregivers. If interested, send Emily an email at: emily@itsmyphone.com
imp is a smart landline technology tool for caregivers. Founded in 2019 in New Hampshire, imp’s mission is to rid the world of the scourge of the unwanted landline caller. The team consists of old-school landline experts, modern smartphone developers, and network security and privacy architects. [TCV Editor: Article submitted by Rory Hennessey]
