Dad is hearing impaired and his eyesight is marginal

Dear Live Grand:

My dad is 87 and lives in assisted living. The staff encourages him to socialize which is nice, but he prefers staying in his room more often than most residents because of his poor hearing and marginal eyesight. He reads large print books and does crosswords and word searches, and he plays solitaire. Dad’s a former librarian and is fine entertaining himself when he has the tools. There are things about the GrandPad that I think he’d like, especially the video chats with grandkids, but what about his hearing and only “okay” vision? – RW

Dear RW:

Your dad is fortunate to have someone to investigate tools to improve his life, and we’re happy to say that, yes, a GrandPad is a perfect choice.

With a GrandPad, he’d have front-facing speakers that are directed to the person using the tablet. The volume is easily adjustable, as well, so he can change it according to his comfort level as noise around him increases or decreases. If he prefers earphones or earbuds, the tablets have an audio port so he can plug in his choice of accessory. As with everything GrandPad, the port is highly visible and easy to use.

Extra helpful for many with a hearing deficit is “real time text.” Family members can log in to GrandPad Central and place a video call where they can choose the feature that types what they are saying as they are saying it. Then your dad could read the family’s words on his screen so he doesn’t miss anything, but he still can see their faces and hear their voices.

Since he enjoys crosswords and word searches, the games app is perfect. It’s got everything from memory games and word scrabble to solitaire. The games feature large text with perfect contrast and lighting. These might be easier on his eyes than the large print crossword magazines that he’s been using, and he wouldn’t have to keep pens and pencils handy or depend on others to replenish his supply.

Music is terrific for stirring memories as well as for relaxation. GrandPad offers a wide choice of radio stations, and their music genres range from classical to rock and country and can be chosen by decade. We also think he’d enjoy the Moods app for viewing relaxing scenes while listening to the soothing audio.

There’s really no way to be a “former” librarian – the tendency toward reading and research is always there. So, humor your dad. With a GrandPad, the family admin could set up his secure Internet with access to the sites he enjoys. The Internet app includes a navigation panel at the top of every website that allows the user to easily adjust text size. And since it’s equipped with LTE data, the Internet can be accessed without a Wi-Fi connection.

We’re certain that your dad’s quality of life will skyrocket once he has his own GrandPad. Let us know how it works out for him! Our users are our best advisors.

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