My mother is also in a facility and is out of town, meaning all calls are long distance. She has a prepaid Tracphone (cost is about $100/year) and while it is a cell phone, my Mom has managed to learn how to use it, which is a big deal for her. She has never used or owned a computer and never used any of the remotes for her stereo (she has figured out the TV, but has had it for years).
This is not what you asked about, but worked for our family.
