The extended family wants to communicate using FB with my father who has dementia. Any other options?

They could use their computers to create "stationery" with their photo at the top (to refresh his memory of who's writing), print out their news in bifocal friendly font (clean, no serifs). They could include photos of the kids, grandkids etc. And the whole thing would be sent by regular mail.

Here is an update:

We have started using this and it works as described. Some of it is a bit clunky but not difficult. I can send pictures, video clips, and text messages directly to his TV and he readily watches it and responds.

Several family members are posting everyday and like it as well.

The owner of the company does not want to share any information until he works out some of the bugs. He also wants to be sure he can deliver the service to more than just a few people. They are excited and helpful and just want to do it right. I have invited them to post here when ready. He said it would be a few more weeks.

Thanks to everyone who helped.

PaulofM0

Wow, Paul, can you entire extended family be that dumb? Sigh. I guess it is possible. At least they are interested and well-meaning.

A good way to keep the family informed in via CaringBridge. But that would be a jounrnal you maintain. I did it for a couple of years to keep family informed of my husband's progress with dementia. I have a cousin now using it about her mother who has an unusual and debilitating disease. This leaves your father out of the direct loop, but it does satisfy family need for information.

I imagine you could set up skype for scheduled interactions, but that would probably require your presence.

I use FB to post pictures and stories about my mom, but again, that leaves my mom out of the loop, except I tell her about comments.

My three sisters and I keep up a continuous email conversation each time any of us visit, which is at least once a week each. This has been extremely valuable in keeping up with Mom's progress between our individual visits.

There are lots of ways that technology can help YOU communicate with family and friends about your father. As for him doing the communication without help, that is harder to imagine.

My mom loves sending out cards. About all she can do is add a signature and decorate with stickers. She has also colored a few cards. If your dad can still write and/or paint, color, use stickers, he may be able to prepare some cards on his own. Then you can add a photo of him, address them, and stick them in the mail. Not a fully independent activity, for sure, but a happy one. Then family can choose to use the old snail mail technology and write him back.

It is my observation that people with dementia, and house-bound old people in general, LOVE getting personal mail. They can re-read the cards or letter many times. It is also my observation that sending personal notes is an extremely difficult task for active younger people. Mostly they hate it and will only do it when prompted.

Can Dad still handle regular phone calls?

I am very interested to see what suggestions others have.

He can take calls but is not as responsive as he was in the past. We tried a digital wifi picture frame but the service went our of business and it quit working. It was also to small for him to really see and appreciate.

My father is in the same boat - he can't see anything small but he has a 60 inch flat screen that he can see just fine. He no longer uses his desktop, it just does not occur to him anymore to use it. If there is something out there I will find it and let everyone know. - Thanks so much!

Paul

Thanks, very good points.

We are good with sharing information between each other but as you say my father is not in the loop and needs to be.

I bet most of our family would not be able to write and mail an old fashioned letter even if they had time to do it. I know it would be hard for me to develop that habit for an aunt or distant uncle.

- Paul

How about Scype? That way he can see a picture he can talk to and family can talk back? You can do full screen so it looks more lifelike.

My Dad use to do computer coding years ago, he even taught others how to use computers. Today Dad's computer sits collecting dust, due to his eyesight and his slight memory loss, the computer has become too complex for him.

Since my Dad rarely uses his computer, I asked the relatives to send email to a new email account that I had set up for my Dad as his old account got too much junk mail. I think I got two emails in the past couple of months. The much younger generation rather use FaceBook so all they need to do is type once [I guess that is how it works, right?]

I remember how I use to put pen to paper and hand write letters to my Grandparents, and all the Aunts/Uncles. Amazing how much time I had back then to do those things but there weren't all the distractions and time wasters we have today. I know I spend way too much time watching TV having 500 channels instead of just 4 :P

I like Linda's idea of personalizing the letters. I remember way back around 1990, well before the extensive graphics available now, that we used to use what were then very nominal graphics to highlight letters. My parents would winter in Texas and I'd send them letters with graphics of cacti, trailers, trucks, etc.

Graphics are so high end now that they're much different, but still brighten up a letter.