On hold for nearly three years: Senior says landline problems persist

For a 93-year-old Eastside resident, a phone problem that began nearly three years ago has become a continuing safety concern. Mary Grace says her CenturyLink landline remains unreliable, even though her family says she has continued paying more than $100 each month for the service. At times, the line has carried static, and at other times it has stopped working for hours. For Grace and her daughter, the issue is not simply an inconvenience. It affects whether she can depend on a familiar way to contact doctors, family members, businesses, or emergency help.

Grace has documented the recurring failures and says she never knows when the service might become unstable again. A working phone one day does not guarantee that it will function the next day, leaving her uncertain about whether she will be able to place or receive calls. That uncertainty is particularly troubling because she lives with the needs and vulnerabilities associated with advanced age. Grace says she believes the company has failed her despite her bills being paid, and she questions whether other customers may be experiencing similar treatment.

The family’s efforts to get a lasting repair have not produced a dependable solution. In October 2023, a temporary line was installed in Grace’s backyard. She initially considered the setup dangerous because wind could cause the line to move or become unstable. The temporary arrangement was not a permanent resolution, and about a year later, Grace says, the phone failed again for an extended period. A second technician eventually came to the home and secured the line, but the family says the fix involved placing bricks and rocks on top of it.

That arrangement has left Grace and her daughter, Geri, concerned about both the quality of the service and the physical condition of the line outside the home. Although the line is now somewhat more secure than it was initially, the family still does not regard the situation as resolved. The use of objects to hold down the line underscores their concern that the temporary setup is not the kind of durable repair expected from a paid telephone service. The continuing problems have also made Grace less confident that the landline will work when she needs it.

Geri says the reliability question carries a serious safety dimension for her mother. A senior living with an intermittent phone connection may be unable to call for assistance or communicate with people responsible for her care when the service goes out. Geri wants her mother to have a dependable communication option that she can use comfortably. The family also says it has been difficult to get direct information from CenturyLink about what has happened, what work remains, or when the problem might be fixed.

Repeated attempts were made to contact CenturyLink about Grace’s experience and the family’s concerns, but the company did not respond. Geri says no one from the company called back to discuss the situation with a manager, listen to Grace’s account, or provide an update about whether technicians were working on the problem. For the family, that lack of communication has added another layer of frustration. The issue is not only that the service has repeatedly failed, but that they say they have been left without a clear explanation or reliable timetable for a permanent answer.

Changing providers has become a possibility, although Grace says doing so would create its own burden. She does not want to replace the number that has been given to medical offices, her bank, and other organizations. Updating all of those records would take time and could create additional complications, especially for someone who has already spent years trying to get the existing service repaired. Still, the family is considering switching companies because the current problems have continued for so long and because Grace needs a phone she can trust.

The Pima Council on Aging has offered guidance about the broader challenge of navigating a difficult service dispute. Sarah Lahiff, the organization’s community resources and benefits manager, says support in working through such situations can make a meaningful difference for older adults and their families. She also encourages older residents to speak up when businesses or service providers do not meet their needs. According to Lahiff, raising concerns can help individuals advocate for themselves while also creating the possibility of broader changes in how companies serve older customers.

As of September 18, Geri said her mother did not have a working phone line and had not heard from CenturyLink for weeks. The family scheduled another appointment with the company for September 26, which Geri said was the earliest available date. Until that appointment and any resulting repair, Grace remains caught between continuing to pay for service and not knowing whether it will function when she needs it. For the Eastside resident and her daughter, the next step is not merely restoring a convenience. It is finding out whether a permanent, safe, and dependable landline can finally be provided.