My dad has suffered with a complicated illness leading to him having most of the bones in his chest removed almost 2 years ago. This has left him with lots of complications meaning he now struggles with mobility and is on a lot of pain meds -affecting his mental health.
Most of all he is bored stupid as he cannot do anything he used to be able to. We are desperately trying to think of new hobbies or pass times for him but are struggling. His main issue is his anxiety (due to his medications and how vulnerable his chest area is meaning he struggles in crowds) and his mobility, he has limited use of his arms as he no longer has collar bones so cannot really lift much more than a cup of tea. Walking much further than to the end of the drive hurts him as his chest area moves around too much causing lots of discomfort so he has a mobility scooter.
He is 54. Any ideas at all of hobbies or pastimes would be hughly appreciated.
Many thanks
What did he enjoy doing before? This is a list of hobbies people enjoy doing. Have a look at it over the weekend with him and then decide which sounds the most appealing to him. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hobbies
How does dad do with computers? One absorbing hobby is family research, If he can use a keyboard or a mouse. Ancestry.
I expect he’s fed up with daytime TV but how about talking books? There are thousands of titles out there. Downloadable to a suitable device.
With a lap tray could he do puzzles like Sudoku, crosswords, jigsaws. Perhaps paint or draw? Was he a keen gardener? Redesign the garden with help of catalogues? (Needs someone else to do the work).
Is there anything that connects to his former interests in any way?
Is dad able to have any more surgery to restore any protection to his chest?
Thank you for these ideas! I think he would love ancestry!
His cognitive function is not too good due to the high level of medication he is on so he would get very stressed and frustrated trying to complete a puzzle I think.
There are constant talks and appointments about the possibility of reconstruction to his chest but are usually ruled out as this all began with sepsis so he is a high risk of getting it again if they perform more surgery and his body is likely to reject anything foreign.
If he can use a computer why not join some forums?
There are forums on the net for nigh every subject under the Sun
………yes even including that !! http://www.astronomyforum.net/sun-forum/
I had a very serious car accident in 2006.
I’d been really active all my life and couldn’t cope with not being able to walk properly. Every step really hurt until I had 2 knee replacements.
I didn’t sleep much either, one night I woke 13 times.
Both my father, and my father in law, had done lots of family history research and I enjoyed filling in a few gaps. I ended up being able to trace my husband’s family back to the 1500’s in Dorset, and my mum’s family came from just a few miles away, over the border in Somerset.
It’s a really good hobby for anyone disabled, as a few clicks of the mouse can find lots of information. You can just do tiny bits at a time, and it opens up a whole new world. I found interesting books on old Dorset roads, for example, some no longer used, and I even managed to find the exact house my husband’s forebears lived in, by cross referencing the census with an auction catalogue. Most importantly of all, it helps you forget the pain, and with a laptop, you can even research when snuggled up in bed!
My cousin got a bit like that after he was smashed up by a car. He got a digital camera and a printer and we found he’s got an amazing skill at portraits. He took photos of people at a head injury club he goes to and they were just amazing.
Learning to use a sewing machine can be quite satisfying with making drawstring bags and quilting aswell as adjustments to clothing and making gifts of pencil cases, trousers etc;
