Demilly Asked July 2014
Has anyone bought a tablet or something for the parent to stimulate their cognitive functions?
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Hi All, My Dad's neurologist wants him to play games, to stimulate his brain. Any suggestions on technology to use? Like a laptop, tablet? Touch screen or keyboard? Mind you that he is the type that has a reason why everything doesn't work easy for him, so simplicity is mandatory....
Thank you,
Deb
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He's designed things for home use all his life, so those are the things that trigger his cognitive and spatial functions.
We have two tablets in the house. One has movies and some apps that i thought would be interesting for her. She enjoys the movies and watching funny animals, American Idol videos on YouTube but that is about it. Games, nope.
My suggestion, if you decide to get a tablet, is to always have someone available to help him with it. And only use the device as a method to redirect when needed. Depending on how far he is into his disease, unless he can remember to use it, then operate it is another cause of frustration and aggregation for him. It is one of those things that fall under the old KISS principle, jigsaw puzzles, puzzle books and the like.
Demilly, this depends so heavily on your dad's current cognitive ability, attitude toward technology, and motivation. An electronic device could be an absolute marvel for him, or an expensive dust-catcher. I see that you can only be with him a couple of times a month and that your brother is not there often, either. Is Dad the type who likes to fool around with things on his own and figure them out? Would it be possible to let him try a tablet or laptop or whatever you are considering for a while without buying one? Do you have one you could spare for a couple of weeks?
As EFOinSRQ's post illustrates, once you have a device picked out you will find many suitable applications for Dad. But the fundamental question is, will he enjoy and master the device?
If your Dad also has hearing loss, which over half of 70+ people do, there are similar software programs that stimulate cognitive and auditory functions at the same time. One of the most effective is called LACE, another is named READ MY QUIPS and there is also ANGEL SOUNDS.
Most of these are available as a by annual access license, as a download or as a disk. They also have a demo on line you can try before purchasing to sort out which one you like best. They are also pretty simple to use and do not require any real computer skills.
He did like a board game version of Sudoku called Color-Ku, where colored balls are used instead of numbers. We played it together. He often could figure out what color ball went where but sometimes had trouble manipulating the balls with his fingers.
Our neurologist recommended Wii games. That was not something my husband was interested in alone, but would play with others.
My mother, 94, dementia, still does crossword puzzles, but now only Easy ones in big print.
Garden Artist has some good advice.
It can also be hard on their eyes; electronic screens aren't the best thing for the human eye.
Try something reminiscent of their age group - when my parents wintered in Texas they met with other Winter Texans and frequently played dominoes. My father macramed covers for lawn chairs. They baked and had lunch and dinners together.
Jigsaw puzzles are another option; I found large piece puzzles at a children's store. Puzzles are excelent for stimulating spatial relationships.
Board games, Chinese checkers, and others come to mind.
Crossword puzzles also stimulate the mind. Reminisce and Reminsce Extra are magazines with a puzzle in each issue. They focus on life during the Depression and WWII, with anecdotes submitted by readers about their experiences growing up during those times. It could help create and stimulate a mental continuity with your father's own childhood.
Ask him to tell you about his growing up and military experiences (unless he doesn't want to discuss combat experience).
Social activity is also an excellent stimulant, especially with others of your father's age. The ROMEOs (Retired Old Men Eating Out) is a wonderful concept. Older men get together perhaps once a month for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and just get acquainted, talk and relax. The bonds that can be created are invaluable.
And break up any of your sessions with your father by chat time, snack time, or something if he begins to get tired. Older folks sometimes take great pleasure in reminiscing and chatting about escapades undertaken when they were younger (tipping over outhouses, pranks like that).
I'd stick with a pencil and paper.
Her computer literacy used to extend as far as sending and receiving emails, but she's no longer capable of doing even that.
I'd say that if your father isn't comfortable using a computer, or if you've showed him your Kindle/iPad/smart phone or whatever and he's not particularly interested, then a puzzle book with mazes, word searches, crosswords or maybe Sudoku would be the way to go.