Music player

May flowers

Last year when we moved my FIL to MC, I bought a dementia-friendly music player (one huge “ON/OFF” button) and put all his CDs on it. Around 1000 songs I think, songs from the 40s, 50s, hymns, Statler brothers, etc. So these were songs he knew well, pre-dementia. The player can hold 3000 songs or such.

He was able to work it in stage 5 and 6 and while he cannot work it now, he can sing or hum most of the tunes on it. It works especially well during his “sundowning” hours (2-5 in the afternoon). I know most of the songs by heart now too, lol.

It was pricey but worth every penny!

Do you have a gadget that was a lifesaver or  indispensable?

​fesk

We used a GrandPad for years. It is a simplified tablet. Family/contacts could send pictures. It had a large library of songs and we could set up a favorites section. We used it to do word search, bingo, some other games, and we would read articles together. It had different topics - news, health, recipes, crafts. I wouldn't say it's top notch but it worked for us. It is mainly used for music now and she does sing along to many of the songs. I occasionally still take it out and go over some recipes, crafts, etc.

Ed1937

I was strongly considering the Simple Music Player when my wife had a turn for the worse, and we would no longer need it. But it sure looked like just the thing for someone with dementia.

zauberflote

We got Mom a Simple music player when her radio kept being de-tuned while she was inAL, and duct tape over the tuning knob didn't work. We never knew if it was Mom or her friend across the hall that couldn't work it. We placed the music player on a nice stable shelf as opposed to the windowsill (where the radio had resided), and Mom didn't use it once. We were very sad, because classical music had accompanied her whole life, and we knew it would make her happy. 

We had no gadget. A box of Kleenex was, however, indispensable! 

BassetHoundAnn

I recently spotted a Simple Music Player on the table in the common area of my mom's memory care. Perhaps some family donated it. I considered buying one but I think my mom is beyond the ability to use it, i.e., remember what it's for, turn it on, etc. 

What I have found useful is a Wonderboom wifi speaker. Good sound, long battery life, pairs easily with phone and tablet. Also waterproof and fairly indestructible. I carry it with me whenever I visit mom and can play her favorite music. She still does enjoy music very much. In fact it's one of the few things which still makes her happy. 

May flowers

BassetHound, I was sad when my FIL could no longer turn his on and off, we had the iGuerburn simple music player, and even sadder that a caregiver couldn’t be bothered to turn it on for him from time to time. But we did when we visited.

Another thing that has been wonderful are these adaptive plates - they are red and have a lip all the way around. It has made feeding himself so much easier, even now he can do some in stage 7 but less and less. With his advanced macular degeneration, he can see the contrast when there is light colored food on the plate, like eggs.

The most useless devices/gadgets we bought were a pill box with a lock and a alarm which he could not manage in stage 5, and a soft wheelchair pommel - he slid right over it. 

​fesk

I wish I knew how to insert a normal link. Is there an easy way to do that?

I bought something that goes around our regular plates that provides a barrier so the food doesn't slide off. I'll have to check out the adaptive plates. Right now she is managing best with a teaspoon, but I need to look for a spoon with a bigger handle. I think that will be easier, but it also needs to be lightweight.

I agree for useless too - we have a gel seat for her wheelchair. Stopped trying to use that because she always seemed to slide off too.

Ed1937

Make a live link: 

1. Copy a URL (highlight the URL, and press ctrl + C or right click the URL, and choose “copy”) 

2. Open Word online, and start a new document 

3. Paste the URL into the new document (press ctrl + V or right click, then choose “paste”) 

4. Press the space bar once. You should now have a live link. 

5. Copy and paste as desired. 

May flowers

Hi Fesk, we got these - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088Y869DM/

We didn’t have any luck with the big handled utensils though, he just couldn’t figure out how to hold them.

mommyandme (m&m)

Fesk, the big handled utensils were a bust for us too. mom couldn’t figure them out.

​fesk

Thank you Ed for the instructions. I have copied them.

Thanks May flowers and m&m - I thought something with a slightly bigger handle would be easier for her to grasp but I'll pass on that based on your advice. Thanks for the link too.

BassetHoundAnn

Yeah, the big-handled utensils were a bust for us too. My mom couldn't figure out how to hold them. 

I installed paddle-like switches on her lamps when she lost the ability to turn lamps on and off. Another waste of time and money. I thought the problem was her arthritis but it was her declining cognitive ability that was to blame and she just couldn't turn lamps on anymore.

The "dementia clock" with the big numbers and the day was another waste. I spot them in many residents' rooms in my mom's memory care. My mom sadly lost the ability to read a clock or make sense of time long before she got to memory care. 

A warning for those considering buying one: I bought one from Amazon. It was obviously a return. After I put it in my mom's room she started complaining that its alarm was shrieking in the middle of the night every few days. She has aural hallucinations at night so I thought that was the problem. But no. When I examined the clock's settings I discovered that someone had set the clock's alarm to shriek at 2 a.m. two nights a week. Someone's idea of a sick joke no doubt. If you buy one check ALL the settings in ALL the menus.