Toggle, thank you for your kind offer. I appreciate that.
I decided to just go ahead with one of the wireless doorbells from tha ACE store. Now we have a somewhat cheesy, but resoundingly LOUD doorbell, that I think I'll be able to hear back in Seattle.
I also have had my first experience with a stair lift this week. It's been very interesting. Luckily, mom's house has a straight shot for a basement staircase, and the staircase is fairly wide. As luck would have it, the unit we bought had a bad circuit panel, but they are replacing that on Monday, and it's not keeping me from having fun with it ;-)