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She can't walk very good. She is understandably depressed. Her mind is good. I don't know what to do with her. We can't go to a movie. A drive does her no good, she can't see. We can't play games...she can't see it. I don't know what to do for entertainment. She can't read. She watches TV allll dayyy longgg. (its fuzzy but she likes the "talk noise".)

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I don't know if you have the devices .... if you have a newer large screen t.v./monitor you often can connect it with a keyboard via a computer - then using the computer system to magnify the font or image so that she can have a better chance at seeing more.
There are free downloaded books on-line ... see gutenberg/ ....... also digitalbookindex/search001a.htm

Another thing is that most computers can be set to read what one sees on screen to be read .... sure, she probably is not computer savvy. Yet if you can get her to a book that can be read and she can hear it enough .... maybe using head phones .... then perhaps it would give her something to alter her day. If her tactile sense is good then maybe helping to sort out something may be of interest .... thinking of a tin of buttons my grandmother had when I was a child .... I loved the textures, patterns, and colors ... much of that can be felt with the hands alone. Variety could be added by sorting a odds n' ends drawer, silverware drawer or a toolbox. I know it may seem silly and childish yet without good sight these things are a challenge to any age when sight is lost. Also for a game please check the children's section of a store, many games rely on touch .... I'm thinking of games where pieces must fit right. If she liked playing dominos then you could make large domino cards with index cards and felt stickers glued down as the pips. Hope this helps somehow. I am an artist and would be lost without my visual world.
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Beenthere60, I would love to hear more about your experience with Day Care for your aunt. Do you drop her off or stay? Took my father to one and he wasn't sure why we were there but he went along. The other people there were nice and we stayed for 1.5 hours. Had lunch but did not get to experience any activities so I'm not sure it was a good fit for him. He hasn't mentioned it since.
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What a great question! With a lot of great suggestions. When my mother could no longer see to do crossword puzzles, my father would ask her the questions and fill in the answers for her. She loved to read but wasn't interested in books on tape. His vision and hearing aren't great anymore, but he still enjoys watching baseball/football/golf, especially with someone who helps him understand what's going on. He can't follow a movie but he also likes watching the older, lighter, happy shows like Andy Griffith and Gilligan's Island. More fun if someone is watching with him. We'll go out to eat, take a walk, sit in the sun, visit a public garden, go to a ballgame, etc. He loves to talk about things he remembers from his childhood.
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You can get headphones for her to use for tv and for a cd player. Books on tape would be great, you can do movie night at home if she has headphones that allow her to turn the volume up so she can hear. I agree with the above about other senses, make a sensory box, include feathers, silk, velvet, sandpaper, sea shells, small bottles of oils such as cinnamon, vanilla, lemon, mint etc., small stones with different textures, you can also have a 'tasting' contest, taste various flavors of ice cream, puddings, breads etc. you can sit on a swing and feel the breeze and sun, take short walks while holding her hand. Using our other senses is another way to communicate and enjoy what's around us. Good luck. Enjoy her while you can.
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My dad is almost 93 and has hearing aides but really only one works well for his type of hearing. It is getting worse. He doesn't have trouble with seeing but for his hearing it had gotten to the point of him not being able to make out any words on tv. He use to LOVE American Pickers and Pawn Stars. Even got me to watching it. Now it's CNN ALL day EVERY day. I bought him TV Ears. He takes his hearing aids out and uses those and loves them. Couldn't do without them. All the people at my mom's facility love the old shows....gunsmoke, lucy, Bonanza etc. Old game shows also. Good Luck and God Bless...
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My 95-year old Aunt is now living with me and I am dealing with the same situation. She walks on a walker so I think a little more mobile than your Mom. I asked about books on tape because she used to love to read and because I felt with the ear phones she would be able to hear OK. She's stubborn and wouldn't consider trying it. So I called our local Council on Aging for ideas and suggestions. I found a couple of Adult Day Care facilities at local churches. I was really uncertain if she would like it at all but she went the first time last week and LOVED it! I can't afford to take her every day but she would go if we could. I am thrilled she has found something entertaining and interesting. 'Course she loves the attention and the activities. Hope this will give you some ideas.
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Get her a magnifying machine from your town or state's Commissioner of the Blind (similar to a microfiche machine) that allows a person to read and write.
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No experience here.... but have you thought about sculpting?
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we found a book on amazon.com that has different questions about a person's life. It is a sort of journal with questions like tell me about a time that you had a difficult time in elementary school for example. You could get that and have her tell you story and write them down for her. It has many different questions and is sort of a history of their life.
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Take her for a walk and hold her tight so she feels secure. Talk about old times and give her hugs and kisses. This will be a day to remember forever for you! Love her!
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My dad (100) has the same sight issues. He can still make out large objects like clouds and some objects around him. One of his great pleasures is to ride around his assisted living facility in his wheelchair - the fresh air and reaffirming his ability to recognize things is very uplifting. He also has an atomic talking watch, which makes him feel more connected to his day-to-day world. I think it cost around $69.

My dad loves the science channel and any other channel that is information related. We have recently learned that we can rent a wheelchair minivan for a day, so our plan is to take him to a sensory garden that is close by, which I think he will enjoy. He has always been an outdoors kind of guy. He is not interested in books on tape because he's not interested in faction and non-fiction books often have diagrams that are referred to that can't be seen. But if you think your mother would be interested in recorded books, they are available for free for the blind through the Library of Congress. They even supply the equipment. Your local library might be able to help you hook up with this service. My dad's hearing issues are usually related to a build-up of wax in his ears. Perhaps a regularly scheduled ear wax cleaning would help your mom. If she is wearing hearing aids, there are now Bluetooth devices that can enhance her hearing with a microphone for another person to wear, or to put close to the TV so the volume of the TV doesn't have to be so high. Hope some of these suggestions help.
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I would try activities that use her other senses: touch, smell and taste. Feathers, flowers, ice cream, chocolate, etc.
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My 90 year old mother is totally blind and deaf. Also, she can't walk and is on oxygen 24/7. Yet her brain is very sharp. The only way to communicate is by spelling out words on her hand. A way pass time with her is to ask a question about her past, which gets her telling stories that I love hearing about. You are fortunate that your mother can still watch television. It at least gives her a way to pass time. It is very sad and frustrating, but all you can do is let her know she is loved and listen to her with compassion when she voices her frustration.
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TV isn't all bad. Get some good Discover channel or PBS programs to challenge her mind. Try, too, a large digital picture frame. You can fill it with a huge number of pictures filled with family, friends, good memories. She can probably view it with some success up close.
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How about books on tape? Or listening to music?
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