Ask Slashdot: Touchscreen Device For the Elderly?

Lord Byron II writes "My grandma is in her 80s, is bed-ridden, in a nursing home, and is basically reaching the end of her life. Her legs are weak, meaning that she is confined to her bed, and her hearing is pretty much gone. Her sight is good and her mental facilities are still there, but even so, she spends most of her days just watching daytime TV, like the Price is Right and talk shows. The family has tasked me with finding her an easy-to-use, not overly expensive device that would mentally challenge her. Ideally, I would like to get something iPad like so that she could play card games and such. But the Internet connectivity and advanced features are completely unnecessary. Is there a simple device that will let her easily play some games?"

Comments

Re:Touchscreen?

[ZackSchil]

Hahahaha

This is the worst suggestion since Hitler's painting instructor told him to go into politics.

Get an iPad

[Cosmic Debris]

My father (now 83) got the original iPad literally the day it came out. Yes, it was expensive but he's really loved it. He plays online games with my sister, nieces and nephews. We set him up to stay logged on to facebook to get the latest grandbaby pictures from my nephew's wife. My brother taught him to buy ebooks, too. He loves to read and is an inveterate insomniac so this alone was worth it. Now if he can't sleep and nobody is awake to play Scrabble, he can download a new book that catches his interest.

He has a computer (old G5 Mac tower) but rarely uses it now since the iPad can be used virtually anywhere in his home.

It's also reduced the number of "how to" and troubleshooting calls we get from him. For an 83-YO former pastor he does pretty good technically and recently figured out how to properly install the OS/X drivers on his G5 for a scanner/printer on his own.

Short answer: by all means get an iPad. It has the richest set of games and social media connections. My $.02.

Re:Get an iPad

[houghi]

I gave my parents a phone designed for the elderly because they could not use their normal cell phone. They are unable to use the new one as well.

Getting money out of a machine is a struggle for them.

They are not stupid. They are just afraid of technology, I think.

So when they want to call me they use the landline. When they want to get money, they go to the bank and when they want to know something, they go to the pub and ask somebody else to look it up for them. As they live in Spain and speak Spanish there is no issue.

I think it is more important to have the social interaction with people around them then it is to sit in front of a screen and see me who lives in another country.

Or as others might say: don't look for a technical solution for a social problem.

Wrong approach

[tomhudson]

but even so, she spends most of her days just watching daytime TV, like the Price is Right and talk shows. The family has tasked me with finding her an easy-to-use, not overly expensive device that would mentally challenge her

Try watching something WITH her instead. Or, since her eyesight is still good, playing cards or something else that is not physically demanding, and allows for both mental stimulation and social interaction. There's a reason you see all those old folks playing bridge or bingo or dominoes, and it's not because of the games themselves. (get one of those 12 or 15-pip domino sets and give it a whirl - everyone from 9 to 90 can enjoy it).

As a terminal Cancer patient, I don't think...

[monomania]

...I don't think you should undersell Internet connectivity. Although fortunately I am not confined to bed 24/7, I spend more than half the day there, and Netflix streaming (which would be a wonderful gift you could frurnish her) is a savior; given the paucity of her programming now it would undoubtedly improve her day, and she would have some control over her entertainment choices. That and a twitter client (and set up the family on Twitter -- those that aren't already) and the family can stay engaged with her; an iPad or Android device with WiFi and a camera a can give her even more interactivity over Facetime or Skype.

You have an opportunity here to improve her daily life to an incredible degree, and obviously want to. Were it myself I'd even obtain here a Mi-Fi device and account if there was little or no Wi-Fi were she is living. Were it my own Grandmother I would not by skimping here.

Wii

[Yakasha]

As has been mentioned before, be careful about ergonomics. Holding an iPad (or similar device) while confined to a bed can produce neck pain (if you hold it in your lap and look down) or arm fatigue (if you try to hold it up to avoid the neck pain).

My recommendation would be a wii, which I believe has already been successfully used in a few nursing homes. I think it would be even more successful for individual cases like this.

• Cheap - under $200 for a full setup
• Light, easy to use controllers
• Her vision is up to snuff, so menus are not a problem
• non-HD hookups, meaning better chance of connecting to older hospital/nursing home/fixed income tvs
• exercise apps to improve health
• chat apps to talk to the grand kids
• Something for the kids to do while you visit grandma
• netflix, for even more tv options!

Re:Why no internet

[rtfa-troll]

This.

With an iPad or even an Android tablet you can install newspaper applications, for example. She probably read those when she could and giving her simple, immediately she turns it on or hits the home button access to the next days paper can be really one of the best forms of mental stimulation.

Find four apps that she likes from her past (a family blog with recent photos would be ideal). Put them on the front page so she immediately gets to something she likes. Set her up simple email, make sure she doesn't have a high limit (low limit is fine) credit card or bank account number handy and let her loose. We've had very little problem with a 90 year old and a laptop (though she started around 80). I don't see how an iPad could possibly be more of a problem

Just one comment. Beware that touch devices may need extra fine motor skills. You may find that a laptop with a large keyboard is actually more suitable than an iPad, depending on how much control she has over her fingers. Also keyboard skills may be a good investment for when eyesight begins to go.

Re:that's easy

[hairyfeet]

I've had good luck with customers and the Velocity Cruz and Archos tablets. Sure they're not speed demons, but we are talking grandma and he is worried about price. they start at $99 for the 7 inch Cruz but if its for grandma I'd probably look at the 10 inch Archos for $169.

As someone whose grandma passed away this yer I wish you all the luck in the world. We were lucky that mine was a spirited little thing that managed to stay on her feet right up until that last week of her life when she passed right after her 96th birthday.

I learned one thing though...I don't EVER want to live to be THAT old! all your friends are gone, more of the people that you knew are below ground than above, she had even lost one child and one grandchild by the end. Personally I'd rather bite the farm before everybody i know does, thanks.