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Looking for ideas, after a particularly difficult spring - dad 87, hospitalized 3 times, two rehabs, two months in hospice, he is now home. Mainly goes from bed to table to recliner with help. He's not a reader, played cards and bocce regularly but now is mostly bed/recliner bound watching TV. I am looking for suggestions for distractions or entertainment other than watching TV- I have wracked my brain but am coming up with nothing. He is/was a social guy out everyday and now is mainly stuck in the house with my mom with very limited mobility of course because of covid his friends can't visit either. I've thought puzzles but don't think he will do them, electronics not an option not electronically inclined and also is an immigrant so english although pretty good not always great. Any ideas appreciated.

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I use my Alexa to distract my 90 yo father. He loves music. Also listens to some Podcasts on it.
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Was he a fix it type guy? My dad had dementia and we are both retired electricians. I had the same problem with trying to find something for him to do after he went into memory care. He was always putzing around, fixing, building, gardening etc. So I developed “Jobs” for him. We would sort wirenuts and various electric materials, sort buckets of change, organize flash cards of old 50s cars. I always presented it as helping me.....Dad I’ve got this wiring job. You wanna sort this stuff for me? He’d jump right on it. For sorting change.....Hey dad, can you sort this change for my wife? She really hates doing it. And away he’d go.
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Thanks all, he watches sports and westerns, animal planet but I was hoping something to do other than TV...I try to get him to walk more and have suggested playing cards, but he usually says no. I think he sort of has settled into the routine and without visitors due to covid it's all so depressing. I will see about more channels.
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How is his hand-eye movement? You can play balloon volleyball across the kitchen or dining rm table. Just need a balloon that you blow up yourself. Or you can buy an inexpensive table top “air” hockey game and just play it slowly. I am collecting old t-shirts from neighbors and having my mom cut them into rags (use a fabric scissor). Or you can have him sort things (it doesn’t have to be an actual chore, just repetitive activity, like folding towels or organizing nuts and bolts and screws.)
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Cascia Jan 2021
its great but he usually doesn't want to do anything...I think he misses his mens club and the guys - he's basically now stuck with me and my mom.
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Cascia, what about sports on TV? Can you get soccer on cable from your Dad's home country? What about old movies, which are easy to listen to without all the deafening noise of today's films. Turner Classic Movies always has good selections. I know, your Dad probably will doze off during the movie :)

Oh, speaking of cable, check with the cable company to see if they have any channels geared to the language of your father. A friend of mine, who's in-laws would visit from India for months on end, were able to get a channel from India. That kept her mom-in-law busy watching soap operas :)
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Cascia Jan 2021
I will see about adding more channels - I tried to set up rook but for some reason it didn't work - I'll try again. At hospice you tube was great for old movies and wild life videos.
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Music from his younger years that he can sing along with?
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Cascia Jan 2021
not a singalong kind of guy but thanks.
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