How do you engage an elderly woman who is suffering from macular degeneration, loss of hearing and loneliness?

you can engage them with good home prepared food . be sure to let them in on the plan and entire execution of the process so they can feel involved and savor the finished dish and the love that goes into making it for them . in hindsight , a good meal was one of my moms few remaining pleasures . im glad i came thru on that . it covered my shortcomings in other areas hopefully .
were not perfect , we learn as we go ..

Lindeyer, I would get a lawrence welk dvd, and music cds. My mom cannot walk or see hardly. I sing Christmas songs and after 3-4 times she starts banging her legs to the music and sometimes tries to sing, she cannot talk either. I do a lot of touching, singing and tell her stories. Good luck

Hearing loss is often the prime driver for isolation. Helen Keller said it best: "Loss of vision cuts off from things, but hearing loss cuts us off from people."

One option is explore ways to get her hearing restored with an Ear, Nose and Throat MD or audiologist.

Another is to check out COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES, simple but overlooked ways she can improve her listening skills with or without heating aids and help the people in her life to help do the same.

Lastly, it always helps enormously to have a friend or two who has hearing loss. If there are no people in her community, check out if there is a local chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America nearby: www.hearingloss.org. Their leaders members can give her the support she needs.

My mom loves stuffed animals and she has a "baby" doll. My mom has dementia, you didn't say that your loved one does so I assume not. Before my mom got really bad we had some boxes filled with all kinds of things that mom enjoyed "working" with. Jewelry, feathers, shells, wallet, keys, lace, pocket watch, combs, etc. I just looked all around her house and chose things that would be safe and that might have some significance for her. We also looked in the toy dept. at stores for things that we thought she might enjoy touching and "playing" with. She is too far gone for that now but she used to enjoy her boxes very much. Can you get some visitors to come on a regular basis? Maybe with their pets or a child. My mom still gets a kick out of a child or baby around. Thanks for being so caring!

Check with the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Each state has an affiliate and they can provide special equipment and books/magazines for free. These are usually distributed by mail. There is an application process. Also check with your state's assistive technology project (use your fav search engine to find it). They will have some excellent suggestions on products and technology your mom can use for communication, entertainment, hobbies, etc.

Don't get an older dog unless you can take it when your dad goes. It's not fair to the dog to be shuttled from place to place.

I have an amplified phone that I got for my dad and it helps a lot. Another option is a phone with a speaker phone capability. The best thing I ever bought for my parents was a companion chair. It can be folded up and kept in the trunk (which I do all of the time). I have taken my parents to malls, parks, restaurants, and museums with that chair. With hearing loss, concerts would be great, as they're usually loud. Find some local groups or even nursing homes/independent living places that are putting on performances and see if you can take your client to listen. See if you can find a military band or high school band, as the horns are loud, LOL. Get her near a church choir that she could listen to, or a Sweet Adelines group or Barbershop Quartet singing old songs. Fall festivals or farmers' markets are great, using the companion chair. All of that takes a bit of research, but it you put it out there and ask around, I'm sure you can find things to take her to.

Wow, I just wrote in last week about my dad who is lonely and also has macular degeneration.
The above are great ideas. One person wrote in for me to find an older dog. One that he could love....i might get one for my dad (age 96)...he does get a pedicure
once a month, ...churches have wonderful activiites....walking the mall for exercise in the morning just before the mall opens,......i started my dad on
Solitare with large printed faces and he is seeming to like it....but he has trouble with his sight, so I am usually nearby to help with the game.....
Wish I knew more of what to do...i also am trying...Just know they like routines and just want to feel needed.....

The Braille Institute has special reading machines with books on tape that are free to those declared legally blind. Its provided by the federal government; the technology is a bit dated but not everyone can afford a MP3 player! And you maybe able to pick up a used CD player on craigslist or such. The local library usually has a lot of books on CDs and if not they can order them for you from other libraries. Mu mother loves those! And yes an amplified phone can be very helpful! Here in CA, there is a program that will provide the free of charge to the hearing impaired.

I find that even when hearing and vision are going that people enjoy going out to eat and to places like church. I know how hard it is when mobility is impaired, but it might be a way to help her feel like part of society. Does she have a swing in the front yard that she can enjoy? Are there any older people in the neighborhood or at church who could drop by and sit in the swing with her? A front-yard swing can be a social center if there are people that will come by to visit. It is also nice if the family can come by for a visit. These things are so important to people as they get older. They need to feel people like them and want to be with them.

One thing that helps my mother is that she has an amplified phone. I don't know how much hearing loss your client has, but she may be able to engage her family on the phone. My mother used to talk to her sister for an hour at a time before the sister died. It helped her a lot.

There are so many things that can still be done when vision and hearing start to fail. Laundry and dishes are two things that others have mentioned. I'm sure there are many other things. Maybe your client will give you some clues about the things she would like to do.

You do have some challenges going on. For her walking perhaps a walker would help. How bad is her eye sight? Sometimes a big screen TV really helps a person see what is going on. Also a device, a reading aid which provides high magnification might help. A low vision specialist would be a resource to advise you on which direction to take. For fun....some adult centers (not day care) have activities, bingo being a mainstay with large print cards, lectures, exercise etc(with you there). It would be nice to get her out. Parks and ice cream cones are good. Does she want to be connected with a church? That is always a good place to find friends....Good luck to you. I can tell you are a blessing to this lady.

My mother has the same problems and is also 92! Books on tape/CD are a godsend. She and my father (94) still live independently, so the situation is a little different. But she does walk around the house with a cane or walker and does go out at least once a week to the library for those books on CD, get a mani/pedicure and to the store. She overcame a fall resulting in a broken ankle last February and actually navigates a full flight of stairs to get down to the garage level of their home. We have made as many adaptations to the house as we can; a full on chair elevator was just too expensive. Regular phone calls from me (I don't live real close) & her few remaining friends, terrific neighbors who check in with her and her genuine curiosity about the world help keep her engaged, but it is hard. And as they say about children it takes a village; we're very blessed to have lots of people willing to help!

My mother is the same age and with the same limitations. One difference is that she does try to walk each day. She does this because her doctor told her "if you don't walk, you won't walk." So I suggest you walk with her. Use a walker if necessary. Short distances is fine. Just try to keep her moving. You can also do arm chair exercises. My Mom listens to books on tape which are available from many different organizations. Maybe you or her daughter could research the availability of this free service in your area. I read to my Mom -- her mail, articles from the newspaper or magazines. I have to shout, but it does entertain her. Try to engage her in conversation. Ask her to tell you stories of her past. But most important, if this hasn't been done, ask her daughter to talk to her physician and develop an "activity" plan for her. The physician will also know what services might be available in your area that you could take her to. And there are many, many games and products available for people with low vision. Search the internet for these. Touch her arm, hug her and tell her what a lovely woman she is. Bless you for caring. Good luck!

Are you talking about me? lol Same situation here. My Mom loves singing, music, Lawrence Welk dvd's eve though she doesnt even know what a tv is. At this point touch is most important and not being alone. My Mom cannot talk or walk but we used to sing to her and after a few verses she would (still does) make her arms and legs so and blurt out a few words to the song! She used to fold laundry and put away silverware, etc, anything to feel useful. Good luck, "all you need is love' dadadadada (the Beatles) haha