Memo Recorder - Help Needed for Tech Challenged Parents

I need some advice guys...

My Mom suffered a brain injury several years ago that damaged her
short-term memory.

She's hoping that I can find her some sort of device that
she can use to record short conversations, "notes to self," memos,
etc. We figure a recording capacity of 10-15 minutes would be good.

Because of memory probs, she frequently has to re-learn how to use a
device, every time she picks it up, so simplicity of operation is a
must.

We got her a portable cassette recorder, but she has problems using
it -- proved to cumbersome and complicated.

Something small, simple, with a telephone answering machine-like
interface might be best. So she can skip forward and backward,
deleting or keeping messages as needed.

Anybody have any experience with parents or devices like these, and
advice to go with them?

Thanks in advance!

David Cowell
Washington, NC