Grandpa would love to see the kids’ soccer games this summer

Dear Live Grand:

My Dad is in a nursing home because he needs medical help with his lung disease. The grandkids play soccer and he always used to attend their games but now it’s too risky to take him. Even at 84, his mind is sharp so he’s aware of his losses, and the inability to see the kids’ games seems to be the most difficult for him to handle. We take videos at the games to show him when we visit but it’s not like being there with the action. He attends activities in the facility when has the energy, but that’s not often. Is there any way a GrandPad could make his life more satisfying? I feel like he’s just waiting to die which tears me up. – WT

Dear WT:

We’re sorry that lung disease has limited your dad’s life so much. That’s a tough adjustment for anyone.

It's deeply gratifying for us to know that a GrandPad could make life far more fun for him including placing him right in the moment at the kids’ games, so let us tell you about that option first.

If your dad had a GrandPad, a family member could make a live video call to connect with him while you’re at a game. This would allow you to include him while the game is happening.  It’s not quite the same as being there, but it’s close. A bonus would be if there’s time pre-game, he might even be able to briefly connect with the kids, too.

You mentioned that you take videos of the kids’ games and share them with your dad when you visit. Did you know you could share those videos with him via a GrandPad and he could view them whenever he wants as many times as he wants? Just think what that would mean to him!

One more related thought: If you or the kids are sharing pictures on Facebook, GrandPad has an integration in place that could enable sharing those with him, too.

There are all kinds of other reasons that your dad would enjoy having a GrandPad. If your extended family is one of the millions who’ve discovered Zoom for staying connected, his tablet would make joining a call easy for him.

Of course, you could upload and label family pictures so that he can view them on his GrandPad. He can even take some of his own to share with the family, providing commentary on the pictures if he wants.

Naturally, he could do much more with his tablet such as poker and other games like slots, or words games and memory games. He could also listen to the music of his era or if he prefers classical, he’d have that choice, too. Our White Glove support is available 24/7 to help him if he has a question.

Our best wishes for your dad’s health to remain stable. It would be gratifying, too, to learn that a GrandPad contributed to his quality of life.

Live Grand is a weekly column brought to you by GrandPad — the simplest, safest tablet-based solution that helps reconnect families.