Find Senior Care (City or Zip)
Join Now Log In
M
manners29 Asked June 2015

Any ideas to help my Mom (90) deal with grieving after the loss of my Father/her husband?

She has failing eyes, loves to read but can't because of her poor eyesight. I have checked into the library but was disappointed there are minimal amount of large print books or books on cd available at stores, like Barnes and Noble. Any other tips or places to purchase books from? Are there other ideas that I should involve her in? She doesn't like going a lot of places but I do get her to come over for dinner, go to church, but that is about it.

2ndGenLiz Jun 2015
Are there a few people from church or in the family that might come read to her on some kind of schedule? Your mom might enjoy the socializing aspect as well. My mother enjoys the daily paper, keeping up with politics and local goings-on, and luckily is still able to read. I would hate for her to lose that.

littletonway Jun 2015
You might check with social services in your area. The Lions' Club offers all kinds of assistance for the visually impaired. I can't remember if it was from the Council on Aging or Lions' Club that sent someone for a friend's Mom with MD. They showed her all kinds of tips of setting up her home for easy access; just simple things to make her life safe and comfortable with less sight. There is even a machine for the computer that makes reading easier. Not sure if any of this would help but gosh sometimes just having a visitor that is interested in you welfare can be a boost. Best of luck!

ADVERTISEMENT


BarbBrooklyn Jun 2015
The library of Congress is a great resource for recorded books, but Audible.com may be even more accessible. Agree with Cwillie, AL may be a boon for her, although she'll resist the suggestion mightily.

cwillie Jun 2015
Library books on CD's are becoming passe, but there may be options available to download digital audio books in your area. Did you specifically ask your library about that?
I think at 90 she will be feeling acutely alone without her husband, and probably many of her friends are also gone. It sounds like she would probably benefit from the social interaction with her peer group and the activities offered in assisted living. I allowed my mother to convince me she was fine by herself after my dad died, but due to her low vision she was housebound and became socially isolated. Change is hard, and change when we are old has got to be even harder, but sometimes it is what we need. Some assisted living facilities offer short term trials, it might be worthwhile to check it out.

ADVERTISEMENT

Ask a Question

Subscribe to
Our Newsletter