Activity advice for elderly grumpy OAP (my Dad) if poss

[amigababy]

Does anyone have any suggestions to make my 76 yo dad's life more enjoyable?
He lives alone in a tiny but comfortable bed-sit. He is anti-social, grumpy and fairly lazy, his favourite phrase is can't be bothered. he does not like old people (!) He is a lttle overweight and takes no exercise. I live an hour away so can't just pop round. Recently he has become more frail and he shuffles - he is walking less and less, his leg muscles are probably wasting away from inactivity. He is probably depressed from being isolated though I doubt he would thank me if I suggested it.
can anyone come up with ideas to stop him declining further.
On the plus side, he is intelligent, can email and internet and can drive, and he has enough money, though not rich.
It is tricky as he embodies the phrase, you can lead a horse to water but......

thanks for any suggestions (or directions to oter websites that could help)

Was there anything he used to do when younger?

Something that he would enjoy keeping in touch with via internet, satellite, reading etc

Sorry, bit out of touch, my df died over 20 years ago at 79, but he still got up at 7.30 every morning and still read the telegraph every day from one end to t'other.

He still quite enjoyed reading and current affairs.

Ha, I just took him the exercise band from my Wiifit and showed him some resistance exercises he could do - he was pretty bemused (resistance is futile!)

And I collected some leaflets from the sports centre which is virtually next dor to him - that might take a bit more "encouragement"

he used to make wine, maybe I could get him a wine making kit. he doesn't actually like wine but we do - we could drink it if it turns out ok. :)

And he collects coins and has asked us to get him a Spanish coin book when we are on holiday so he can value some of his coins.

It's really kind of everyone to make all these suggestions

That's a start. :)

How about researching the family tree? Seems fairly popular with some older men and he wouldn't have to socialise too much!

That might be a great idea - his mum died when he was a child, so I'm sure there's a lot he could discover that he can't remembre himself. And with 8 brothers (unfortunately most deceased, but I have many many cousins) there would be family info out there as well as on the genealogy websites. I'll have to try myself as it's a whole new area for me, then I can show him where to look.

he liked the football website I directed him to, all about his team

How about an art club, if there's one in his area? He doesn't have to be any good at painting.

My dad moved into a flat 3 years ago (he's now 70) and used to come over reasonably often, but since he started his art club he doesn't even come for Christmas.

Like yours he's not very sociable - never mind old people, he's not very keen on people full stop!

The art club meets once a week, and they paint while they are there and discuss each other's paintings etc. My dad always wanted to get into painting but being in a club that meets once a week kept him going with it, otherwise he would have stopped bothering. A few times a year, they have an exhibition, which involves all getting together at a church hall, setting up tables, squabbling over who gets the best pitch etc.

I'm trying to persuade him to sell his paintings on ebay, not necessarily for the money but for the satisfaction of seeing that people want them, and also to clear the flat out because it's full of them!

Would he be interested in:

life story book,
reminiscence books or items.
could he get involved with any activities in any local care homes, even to go visiting people in there, drop them in some messages from the shops,
or are there any local 'day centres' where he could go to get his lunch?

The funny, and slightly annoying thing is, I discovered Age Concern have a tuesday social club - in the very sheltered accomodation he lives in! I can't believe he doesn't know about it, so I can only assume he chooses to ignore it, and he's lived there 4 years now.

He seems to get on ok with the warden there and takes her advice, but I don't know how to contact her and ask if she could get him involved in that in some way. Though I get the feeling it may not be "his scene."

It would be good if he could help other people, with him still having the use of his car etc

Maybe if you put it to him like that - reinforce that he is still useful and can contribute? It wouldn't have worked with my Dad who was a selfish sod at his best, but you never know!