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Caring for elderly relatives? Supercarers can help

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Recommendations for tech for blind Grandad

8 replies

Teaandcakeordeath83 · 20/09/2021 20:26

Hi. This is my first post so apologies if I haven't quite got it right. 🤦🏼‍♀️ My grandad is 90. He's about 95% blind with macular degeneration, classed as legally blind and is the most stubborn man you'll ever meet. A few years ago before his sight really started to deteriorate he did a computing course at his local library. He uses an incredibly old PC at the moment, mainly to print off pictures, print off annotations for his millions of stamps/ family albums and also uses the copier function on his printer. I've just bought him a "new" refurbished PC as a gift and I want to set it up to make it more accessible for him before I hand it over. I am going to make the backgrounds yellow/black text, increase font sizes, add the magnifier etc. Is there anything else that would be of use to him? He's not particularly tech literate and absolutely has no patience so it really needs to be basic but helpful... 😂 Are there any programmes or apps that are useful for partially sighted, tech novices? Thanks. X

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Patapouf · 20/09/2021 20:29

Not for the PC but has he got an Amazon Alexa device or similar? They can do all sorts now and can be linked to lighting, act as a tv remote, radio, can control plug in appliances and heating which can help him maintain some independence.

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ninecoronas · 20/09/2021 20:30

How about you set him up with an Alexa speaker, get all the apps linked, so he can get all the radio stations, audio books, weather etc through voice control?

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CorpusCallosum · 20/09/2021 20:33

Check out the RNIB website and Facebook groups for some tips and personal advice.

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Teaandcakeordeath83 · 20/09/2021 20:49

Thank you everyone!

He has a kindle fire 10" but struggles to use it- lack of patience and probably the fact that his hands are like shovels- he doesn't gently touch the screen, more like almost puts his fist through it and then if he doesn't "see" an immediate response from it then he presses harder/ whatever buttons he can find until the poor kindle freezes or just gives up. 😂🤦🏼‍♀️ he managed to buy a load of soft porn books whilst he was looking for some ww2 navy books (grandma was terrified the police were going to raid the house🤣) and then set up Kindle unlimited which he didn't realise for 13 months.. 🤦🏼‍♀️ It's the same with his pc... The poor pc doesn't know if it's coming or going with him.

An Alexa might be a decent idea though. He gets talking books from RNIB so perhaps getting him set up on audible would be a good idea (if you can do that with Alexa? Or can you have Alexa on the fire then audible through that?)

I tried the RNIB pages a while back when his sight really started failing but all the PC software recommendations seemed to be extremely expensive and targeted at more pc literate people/ those who use them for work etc. He's brilliant considering he's 90 but he really is very basic at it. I will have another check though. We got him a large yellow/ black keyboard from the RNIB so I'll have a see if they have any other gadgets that will make it easier.

Does anyone have any Facebook group recommendations?

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Teaandcakeordeath83 · 20/09/2021 20:50

I have no idea where my paragraphs disappeared to there. Apologies for that. 😬

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CorpusCallosum · 20/09/2021 21:38

I'm in the RNIB FB group for parents and caters due to DDs eye condition. It's been very useful and supportive.

Here's a link to the links for their other FB groups which are arranged by geographical area. I can't speak for how helpful they all are!

www.rnib.org.uk/facebookgroups

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Teaandcakeordeath83 · 21/09/2021 21:12

Thanks for that. I've just requested to join the NW one. All the group's I found yesterday seem to be quite international so nice to see there's local ones available.

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Chaoplexatologist · 08/10/2021 22:04

Hi, I know I am late to this, but I am registered blind and used to be a right computer geek from the early 90s.

His local blind society or rnib locally run technology classes and also classes and courses in adapting to living with sight loss which includes a technology after noon. Also if you contact your local council sending his certificate of of site impairment and a sensory impairment support worker will be a sign to him. My support workers totally changed my life if including signposting metre relevant technology help. Please excuse any mistakes in this message text to speech and speech to text or always like the Yorkshire language

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