Helping Grandma stay engaged.
Dear Live Grand:
My grandma moved to assisted living and is adjusting well. The problem is that she avoids group activities because she gets stressed by being around a lot of people. The staff is great, but she ends up with time on her hands. Grandma used to read and still enjoys that, but print can strain her eyes. She watches some TV, but she doesn’t like much of what’s on, so she gets frustrated. I think that the feeling of not knowing how to use her time is hard. What can I do to help her enjoy her days? – PS
Dear PS:
We think that your grandma is fortunate to have you in her life! Too much socializing can seem as wearing to some people as complete isolation is to others, so congratulations on looking for alternative ideas.
What can you do? Since your grandma loves to read, try large print books. If she’s able, she could reserve them online from her local library using GrandPad’s customizable Simple Safe browser, though a family member would need to pick them up for her. She could also download the library’s ebooks. Consider audiobooks, too. Classics can be downloaded using GrandPad's safe access to YouTube. For TV, try her local public TV station.
Here, we really must talk about GrandPad a little more. The tablet is specifically designed for older adults and could be a gamechanger for her now and into the future. Wouldn’t this tablet make a wonderful Mother’s Day gift?
Music is universally loved and with a GrandPad, you or another family member can use the control panel to select from a wide range of radio stations for her. Then, to listen, she’ll just need to touch a button. If you don’t know what kind of music your grandma enjoys, finding out could spur some interesting conversations.
You can upload family pictures and view them together both in person and during video chats. Setup is a snap, and she could keep her GrandPad ready to use by laying it on the oversized charger. Enjoying Zoom calls with your grandma is a convenient option for the family, as well. GrandPad is packed with games of all kinds, some to be played alone and some that can be played as a group if desired. They even offer tournaments.
Perhaps most importantly, with a GrandPad you can add other family members as well as her friends to her safe call list. Then, by touching the call button under that person’s picture, she can connect with them. Your worries about scams can be put to rest because spam calls never reach her.
The relatives of older adults who own this table tell us that having a GrandPad has given their older family member a new focus.
Learn more about the tablet by going to www.GrandPad.net. Oh – and if you give your grandma a GrandPad, let us know how she likes it or even if you have suggestions for improvements. Our users are our best advisors.
Live Grand is a weekly column brought to you by GrandPad — the simplest, safest tablet-based solution that helps reconnect families.