My 93 year old Mum complains that she has nothing to do and “just exists”. She’s deaf, and had very poor eyesight. I moved in with her for lockdown so she had help, as I’d spend the weekends with her and would not have been able to during this period. I have been working from home.
I have tried to engage her with activities but she doesn’t want to, then moans there is nothing to do. She doesn’t like noise, so radio and television are out. I’ve bought large jigsaws but she’s not interested.
I’m asking if anyone has any ideas. I’m sure it’s not a rare situation.
My mother had very poor eyesight and was hard of hearing at 94. She sometimes would like to listen so some music on an Alexa Echo. Music she enjoyed when she was younger.
Hello Gillian
My mum is very deaf but her eyesight is good. I think she’d stay in bed unless I nagged her to get up. I understand she’s very depressed due to the Alzheimer’s disease.
I’m sure you’ve looked at this approach before but is there anything at all you both really enjoyed when your mother was younger and stronger? A look at old photos and a chat can bring back memories and lift spirits - as well as sadden a little maybe. I bought some DVDs from the 1940s and mum seemed genuinely to remember some of the actors in the films when we talked about them. And the films were subtitled too. These ideas don’t seem like much but I think they do help in our case.
Best wishes, David
What about “Scrabble” ? My Mum had Alzheimer’s but still enjoyed a game of scrabble (although sometimes I admit it was a bit of a guessing game when it came to work out what word she had meant to put !!).
If yur Mum’s eyesight is poor then the RNIB sell a large print scrabble.
https://shop.rnib.org.uk/what-s-new/best-sellers/leisure-best-sellers/large-print-scrabble.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlczcu4nP6gIVibbtCh3giQCPEAQYASABEgIWcvD_BwE#fo_c=1594&fo_k=eae95a39adf1d1f970d9a52c0a355247&fo_s=gplauk
Maybe you could ask her to consider things that older people like to do, walks in the park, board games, Sudoku, etc. She is a older woman, so things she used to do might not seem interesting anymore. I have always asked myself what i would do if i was older. I think i would be the same.