Should I replace my Mom’s Computer?

NizhoniGrrl

My mom is now in her third month in AL after a fall presented the opportunity for a change she had been resisting. She’s not as happy as before, but she’s managing and at least she really likes the food. Recently her ancient Chromebook died. She does post on FB occasionally and checks her email maybe once a week. She also had this really ancient computer bridge game. I never upgraded her computer because she didn’t use it much once I shut down her credit card and she couldn’t shop shop shop.

So now this. She’s complaining even though she barely touches it but I worry about her ability to learn how to use a new device, and of course, getting in trouble on the internet.

Has anyone found an alternative that they could monitor or restrict? She could never figure out using a smartphone.

SusanB-dil

A tablet with parental controls? There are games you can use off-line, so the tablet doesn't even have to be connected to any wifi. Not so sure about bridge, but I use mine for primarily an e-reader, and I do have solitaire, spades, backgammon…

With parental controls, you could put it on-line for facebook, any maybe put the timer on. But if she barely touches it, as long as she has the tablet, maybe she wouldn't need it on-line at all any more.

Emily 123

Hi,

I’ve been in your position. In our case Mom (back in stage 4) tried to push an update and it bricked her older iMac (Thanks, Apple!). By that point I felt like it offered a bit too much for what she could still do, which was browse the web and play solitaire. She could still easily read and understand emails, but had gone past the point of being able to initiate them. However, she wasn’t getting a lot of personal emails outside of family.

Mom had used an ipad for years, so I switched her to that completely after paying for the apps she’d use (to avoid pop ups), and removing everything else off the desktop. I restricted emails to contacts only, eventually turning the internet off as she mainly used it for her games. I bought her a subscription to the local paper so she could read the news.
Maybe get your mom an inexpensive tablet she could use it when you’re there? Do you have an old or second hand tablet you could adapt for her? The ‘Grandpads’ are nice and limit access but are a bit pricey. It may be that ‘out of sight is out of mind’ and removing the computer will remove the trigger.