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Hi, I have a google calendar set up for my Mom where I post appointments and events at her community and her meal schedule. I especially have a problem where the meal schedule is different on the weekend so she misses the meals. I posted signs on the fridge and tv, but she ignores them. At the moment, I call her on Saturday and Sunday at 11am to remind her to go to lunch. However, I still have kid activities plus church so sometimes I miss making the calls. I would like the calendar to talk out loud to speak the google calendar reminders. I have set up her computer next to her chair. But I can't find a software program to do this. At the moment she doesn't have a cell phone since she wasn't using it, but she does know how to use her landline.


I'm wondering:


*Does anyone know a software program that will do this on laptop?
*Or should I get an Android phone since presumably would work with google calendar and then look for a talking app?
*Or should I get something like Alexa? Will it connect to her calendar? Will the facility's weak wifi support it?


This forum looks great, thanks for any help!

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I use an Alexa to provide my father with reminders and it's perfect. The weak point as you fear is the wi-fi in the assisted living facility. It stays connected for a few weeks and then for no apparent reason drops. I'm considering getting an internet line for his apartment just so I don't have to deal with that.

I also used an android phone along with google calendar during a period when I couldn't use the Alexa. It worked just fine but the Alexa provides so much more - music, audible books, etc. that it is worth it.

If you look at my posts you'll see that I did have an issue with the assisted living managment not wanting to have any personal assistants in use in resident apartments. I never got a straight answer on why but I did invoke the Fair Housing Act for people with disabilities and they quickly backed down before I had to take any more action than a letter.

The Echo dot with Alexa is so cheap that it would be a good experiment to see if it connects to the wi-fi in the assisted living. If it doesn't work you can always return it. It will be cheaper than having to get a new phone and service for the phone.
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JoAnn29 Sep 2019
Just a reminder to the forum that Dad is blind, right? Thats why they backed down when u brought up the Disabilities act.
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In Community do you mean independent living? If so, maybe Mom is ready for the next level an AL. And changing the eating schedule on the weekend must be hard to remember for a lot of residents. I would question why this is done.

An AL would make sure she got to her meals and was reminded od activities. Mom was in a 39 resident AL and they went around reminding residents of the things going on.

I like jmks idea. I would check with her community to find out if echos are allowed.
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ginaging, are you already using Google voice to remind your Mom of things? If not, I would think a voice would startle her. I know it would cause my heart to skip a beat, one reason I don't want such a device in my home.

But I can understand you want reminders for your Mom. I know there is an ad on TV of a grandson asking Alexa to remind Grand-dad that he has his favorite desert in the refrigerator. Find and dandy since Grand-dad doesn't appear to have Alzheimer's or dementia.

For my own Dad when he was in Independent Living senior facility, I used a very large wall calendar and placed all the appointments that he needed. I do the same for myself. Of course, Dad sometime would forget about the calendar or forget what day it was.... [sigh].

Eventually I moved Dad to the senior facility Assisted Living/Memory Care, where the Staff would go get Dad if he wasn't in the dining area.
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C a l l. Y o u r. M o t h e r .


(Not meant in a mean way).
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ginaging Sep 2019
She lives nearby so no worries on that score :)
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Yes, joan29, he is blind so I was able to use the disability portion of the fair housing act but you don't need to actually disclose the disability and I would think that moderate memory loss would also qualify. When I got my response the AL manager really had no rationale for why they didn't want them. I offered to have a note posted on his door in case they had privacy concerns but he didn't ask for that and I didn't do it.
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I'd consider moving her to next level of care. When reminders, notes, etc. don't work, an audio reminder, won't either. Once the reminder is read aloud, it will soon be forgotten, before it can be done. My LO would get reminder to go to dinging room for dinner, but, forget where she was going on the way. Constant supervision and direction are the next steps. Also, just because, she may know how to use a landline, she may freeze and not get the idea to use it. I know people who have dementia who fell down with phone within their reach, but, they don't think to use it. They can't answer why they laid there for hours or days.....
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