Craft ideas for elderly Nan needed!

[Monkeysmum3]

Morning everyone,
I'm hoping you might have some ideas!
My 86 year old Nan is an amazing knitter, seamstress and embroiderer, sadly she's losing the sensation in her fingers and is finding it hard to sew etc. She was recently bereaved and now more than ever she could really do with the distraction of making something- does anyone have any suggestions of crafts that don't require too much dexterity?
Thanks very much :)

Hi I dont have any real answers for you but i had a quick google as im sure you have had in the past and came up with these 2 links which might give you ideas

theartfulcrafter.com/blog/senior-crafts.html

www.seniors.com.au/news-insights/12-simple-finger-dexterity-exercises-for-seniors

Hope that helps in some way

Decoupage? Obviously the more complex, fiddly pieces need dexterity but the simpler shapes can be done by fairly young kids (but depending on what you choose and the paper you use the results aren't childish.)

It must be so frustrating for your Nan, not being able to do something she enjoys. I feel for her.

Have you looked into knitting machines? You just have to turn a little crack and it knits for you.

My gran started to crochet you can get thick handles that slip over the narrow handle to make it much thicker. with crochet you only have one stitch on the hook rather than all of them like knitting so easier on the arms too. She also started colouring. The enchanted garden is beautiful you can get a copy with perforated pages to be framed and a magnifying square on a stand if it is too detailed. Some childrens craft kits are beautiful too. Well worth looking through Amazon.

Drawing/painting / designing? Something on an ipad? Also does she crochet, I think this is easier on hands than knitting. I feel for her.

Scrap booking? My neighbour who is in her 60s is really into this. She has a little gathering of friends who come on Tuesday's and they all do it together. So can be social too.

Wow, thanks so much for all those brilliant suggestions, I'm going to check them out when I get home- there will be something there to inspire her I'm sure! :)

Would she be interested in doing jigsaw puzzles? You can buy adult ones with larger pieces for those with poor sight.

Maybe you could entourage her to create a life history book. Getting together old photographs and putting them in an album, writing down who the people are. When you are visiting would she be willing to speak into an audio tape to give a bit of personal background to the photos?

My mum does some knitting with big needles as she has arthritis , no idea how big the needles are I'm afraid but it creates more open knitting I think. I found this book online https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/BigNeedleeKnits.html?id=m6BKrgEACAAJ&source=kpcover&redirresc=y
What about mosaics? You can buy packs of tiles and it's something that could be done at a table.
www.hobbycraft.co.uk/decor-and-hobbies/home-decor/mosaics
You can do it with buttons too
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ButtonCrafts.aroflexy

Thanks so much everyone- I've found an ergonomic crochet handle on amazon which might work well, she's good at crocheting too so I think she'd enjoy it. She has an iPad and loves Pinterest so has got lots of ideas from that in the past, she's always been so busy with making things I hate to see her not able to do what she loves. I'll go through all your suggestions with her and see what she likes the sound of, really appreciate all your ideas

Also bamboo needles for knitting, they're more flexible and warmer so good for people with things like arthritis . how about loom knitting?

Have you heard of Temari balls?

If she's been a keen knitter, she probably has a load of the stuff hanging around to give it a go (I tried it starting with a ball felted from a load of ends cut off the fairisle jumper I'd just finished knitting, covered in bits and pieces from my bag (ideally would have been thin cotton, but I did it with 4 ply wool!)