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Elderly parents

Calendar clocks for people with dementia - any recommendations please?

16 replies

PacificDogwood · 13/01/2013 20:39

I've been looking at this one, but it seems a bit dear for the niggles described in some of the reviews. In particular, the fact that it cannot differenctiate between months with 30 and 31 days makes me go a bit Hmm. For the price I'd expect better.

I'd like to get something like this for my DMiL whose vascular dementia has got much worse rather quickly in the last 3 months and who is getting very muddles with the days of the week and sometimes time of day.

OP posts:
PacificDogwood · 13/01/2013 20:43

Or this one?
Mainpowered could be good.
LED screen sounds good.

Hm, this might be a contender.

Glad I brought it up here Grin

OP posts:
PacificDogwood · 13/01/2013 20:43

Mains powered. Gah!

OP posts:
PureQuintessence · 13/01/2013 20:46

The second. The first is too confusing for a person with a dementia.

CMOTDibbler · 13/01/2013 20:57

Second looks good

Theas18 · 13/01/2013 21:05

This maybe completely not what you want, but I got my dear demented half blind father an RNIB recommended talking watch for Xmas the top button tells you the time ( though the large clear analogue display is ok for him the read in good light - doesn't seem to be a skill that you loose easily ) and the bottom button tells you day/date and year.

It was 20 odd quid from amazon.

( caveat read my thread about the " long night of the talking watch " where he pressed it approximately every 20mins all night so um got no sleep......it lives on the dressing table now at night!).

PacificDogwood · 13/01/2013 21:19

Oh, thank you, quick replies Smile!

Yes, once I found the second one, the first one looked distinctly less good... Should have looked more first, posted second Blush.

I'll have a look at the talking clock thingmy - she may or may not take to that: on her more paranoid days she might accuse me of trying to drive her nuts Grin.

We had a rather depressing visit at hers today, it is really rather soul-destroying to see her deteriorate.

OP posts:
PacificDogwood · 13/01/2013 21:22

Is it this one Theas?
Does it tell the day of the week?

OP posts:
gingeroots · 13/01/2013 22:01

Pacific my mum has the RNIB talking clock in your link .

It's good for telling time but IMO a bit confusing regarding the date .
You keep the button pressed down and it gives date but in a not terribly easily understood format ,and rather off putting robotic voice .

ratherbeinnorfolk · 15/01/2013 13:11

After buying a useless one from Amazon (German - connected to radio signals in Germany) found this one at John Lewis:

www.johnlewis.com/154686/Product.aspx?SearchTerm=RecentlyViewedList

Battery powered, but radio controlled so understands when there are 30 or 31 days in a month, reasonably priced and large enough display, seems to do the job.

sydlexic · 19/02/2013 22:37

I purchaserd a karlsson clock like the first picture for MIL. I would choose that one. It has the year which helps with cheques and bills. It has an analogue clock, many forget how to read a digital clock as they did not have them when they were young. Also it is very large, I found with smaller clocks she forgot where it was.

sydlexic · 19/02/2013 22:39

I would not recommend mains power as people with dementia usually turn all switches off before going to bed, as people used to.

SussexRokx · 20/04/2013 09:53

A day clock such as the one in the link below, can be created using a Digital Photo Frame.

forum.carersuk.org/download/file.php?id=4394&mode=view

As long as the Photo Frame can change the image every hour on the hour, then a series of images for Morning, Aftenoon, Evening and Night, along with the day, can be displayed at the appropriate time.

The Photo Frame used in the link is a Motorola MLC800, and also has its own built in clock and calendar.

If anyone wants to know how to set one up, let me know, as I can provide the full set of images needed.

glaurung · 22/04/2013 11:12

Oh Sussex, I will pm you. It may be just what MiL needs to stop her getting up every hour at night.

glaurung · 23/04/2013 11:59

I've been having fun with this Sussex, I've got a new night-time picture showing a bed wth someone sleeping and a new Thursday night picture with a dustbin and the message 'put the bins out'. Lovely as your pictures are I will probably swap them all out for more personal ones. It's a brilliant idea which would also work well for a child. Sadly their existing photo frame does a max of 2mins picture update which would need too many photos and would probably get out of sync too quickly, so I've ordered a new one. I somehow doubt it will actually stop MiLs nighttime wandering (though anything's worth a try), but I hope it will help them both keep track of time better.

gnushoes · 23/04/2013 12:04

We got one of these for my MIL but she couldn't really connect the clock time with anything else and still rang up at stupid o clock, or didn't get the difference between 3am and 3pm even though one was dark and the other not. Good luck...

SussexRokx · 06/05/2013 05:40

Files and instructions to create Dementia Day Clock available here
sussexrokx.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/day-clock-for-people-with-dementia.html

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