Thanks to about a third of the Internet for suggesting The Jitterbug as the phone I want to get for my mother. Robert Spina was the first one in with the nomination so he gets thanked by name. For the rest of you, we have lovely parting gifts, a copy of the home game and this much anonymous gratitude.
I got a few non-Jitterbug recommendations and I'm going to look into them and then decide. I'll report back on what I learn because it seems like I'm far from the only one with an elderly parent who needs a cell phone for emergencies.