What are some hobbies for a blind senior?(self.Blind)
submitted by pie_eating_contest
My grandfather passed away 2 years ago, leaving my grandma on her own. Shortly after his death she began going blind due to macular degeneration. She's the sweetest old lady, but I can see her gettinh bored and lonely. I am in my 30s and was hoping to find a hobby for us to do together. She's 89 years old, and other than her eyesight, she's quite healthy. Any suggestions?
razzretina6 points3y ago
What does she already like to do? :) That’s the best place to start.
pie_eating_contest [OP]2 points3y ago
She was into sewing and quilting, but can't do much of that anymore. Gave away most of her stuff. I was kind of hoping to bring a new hobby to her.
razzretina3 points3y ago
Unless her hands have damage, I don’t see why she couldn’t do that still. She’d have to learn new ways of doing it, but plenty of blind people sew and knit. As for new hobbies, well, again, what does she like? There’s plenty of games, puzzles, books, etc out there and a lot of other stuff.
8i8oio1 points3y ago
Very true!
homerq4 points3y ago
First, get her a full sized Amazon Echo*. Second, get her setup for NLS BARD audiobooks for the blind. The player they send you isn't very good because you have to mail the cartridges to and from the library. But you can get a third-party device that will allow all of that through Wi-Fi. The NLS Bard service also provides access to magazines and newspapers. The echo device will allow her to listen to any music she wants and create her own playlist for 3.99 USD a month. It will also allow her to check the time, the weather, set reminders, make a shopping list, etc. The TuneIn Radio option allows listening to live news like CNN, MSNBC and many topical podcasts.
It's very important that she be able to entertain herself when you're unavailable. For example, being able to listen to the news will give you lots of stuff to talk about.
*the smaller Echo devices aren't as loud and often times seniors need more volume to hear something or the desired content is very quiet and needs the volume turned up. They also have better microphones so they're much easier to control vocally.
2Sea4Escape2 points3y ago
Could you please expand on the 3rd party devices for the Bard service?
homerq1 points3y ago
This is a popular one that has Wi-Fi. Unfortunately not a whole lot of these devices have Wi-Fi access.
The onboard audio isn't very strong, so you might need headphones or an audio cable to plug it into, for example, a bluetooth speaker.
She has an audio book reader from CNIB. I think she uses that a lot. I was hoping to bring her a new hobby we could do together a few times a week.
homerq1 points3y ago
I wish I could help you there, but I'm in the same boat. My elderly mother fortunately rememberd how to crochet from when she was younger, so she's doing that now. Maybe that's an idea? It allows her to make gifts for people, which makes everybody happy. I do all the ordering and color selection.
8i8oio4 points3y ago
My sister reads to me! If your grandma has a favorite book, you could read to her.
I’ve heard of knitting, and I believe there are some texture based puzzles.
My grandma is always up for her favorite movie, but I sometimes play guitar and she sings.
If she misses going out, you could take her to a mall in a wheelchair.
Cooking could be fun! It’s easy to chat and she could share stories with you.
I think there are blankets that can be made without sewing... if she’s into fabric stuff. I ... hate fabric, so not my best idea :)
bokehblind6 points3y ago
Or even audiobooks!
pie_eating_contest [OP]2 points3y ago
I like the idea of texture puzzles. I'll try that!
ScarReincarnated2 points3y ago
Play Any instruments.
iheartbaconsalt1 points3y ago
Ukulele Grandmas would make a hot band name.
XSerenity1 points3y ago
She could start learning an instrument. Almost any instrument can be learned by feel, even piano.
You might try chess as well. A quick search shows that there are chess sets designed for blind/tactile use. You could play blindfolded with her to remove any advantage in being able to see the board.
Audiobooks and podcasts are great, though I would imagine learning to read braille books would also help.
KE5TR4L1 points3y ago
Has she tried knitting or crochet? That’s mostly done by feel and will help keep her hands mobile. Or listen to an audiobook or podcast together and pause after each one to discuss like a book club. Take her out to the park and learn to identify birds by their calls. Get her an echo or something and hook it up to Spotify and make her a playlist so you can add in songs you think she might like from your phone when your not with her so she knows your thinking about her. Make a weekend out of pasting different texture paper over copies of photos so she can learn to see them again. Idk man that’s what I’ve got
aishel1 points3y ago
My library has a product called Playaway which is basically an mp3 player with a preloaded book on it. It has tactile buttons so you can play or pause as needed.
https://shop.playaway.com/
See if your library has something similar.
FlowerPower4651 points3y ago
Sometimes large print crosswords or word search books may be good, but I’m sure it depends on how much central vision she has remaining. Here is a link I’ve used before to print out puzzles: http://www.qets.com/crossword_puzzles.htm
There are also coloring books for adults with bold outlines that can be found online.
Does she enjoy playing card games? There are large print playing cards available.
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