Pictures get spoiled riding around in Grandma's walker bag
Dear Live Grand:
My grandma lives in a care facility, and she loves showing off family pictures. Since she keeps them in her walker bag, it’s not surprising that they get wrinkled, dirty, or lost. We tell her that’s okay, we’ll give her another copy, but it still upsets her to see them spoiled. Obviously, a digital device is the answer, but Grandma has had trouble with every option that I’ve tried. That said, we’ve decided to give it one last shot. How hard is it to view photos using a GrandPad? – AJ
Dear AJ:
Since paper just can’t hold up to walker bags and communal sharing, spoiled physical pictures are common in care facilities. You're right, of course, that a digital device is an obvious answer, yet ordinary tablets tend to be complicated. GrandPad took on that challenge and won!
GrandPad tablets are specifically designed for older adults with little or no digital experience, so your grandma could navigate one easily. The icons are large and uniquely colored, plus they’re positional so people don’t have to wonder where they went.
The text is large and easy to read, and the front-facing speakers make for great sound. Even charging is no challenge. She’d simply lay her tablet in the included cradle to keep the battery topped off. What’s more, this sturdy tablet with its stylish case would fit in her walker bag so she could keep her photos handy.
Viewing her precious photos would be easy. Once the person designated as the family admin uploaded them to your grandma’s device, all that she’d need to do is tap the Photos app button. Yes, that’s it! Then, she could share her photos – and even family videos! – with her friends by passing around her GrandPad.
Video calls are just as easy. The family admin would add your grandma’s family and friends’ information to her contacts so that the minute her first call came through she’d see the person’s face and instinctively click Answer. She could make calls by tapping her Contacts icon, choosing the person’s image, and tapping Call. There is no risk of spam or junk calls because the only people who can contact her are those who have been intentionally added.
If she enjoys online church services, once her family admin added the pertinent web link to her Internet app, she could easily stream the services by clicking that option.
The handy Toolbox app would provide her with a magnifying glass, a calculator, and a flashlight.
What if she had a question? No worries there. Whether she wanted assistance while playing a game or just experienced some momentary confusion, she’d simply tap the large HELP button and a friendly human being would quickly answer. Remarkably, this holds true 24/7, 365 days a year.
Your Grandma’s love of showing off her family photos is a wonderful attribute, AJ, and her worry about spoiling them is normal. A GrandPad would allow her to have fun with them worry-free. How great is that?
Live Grand is a weekly column brought to you by GrandPad — the simplest, safest tablet-based solution that helps reconnect families.