Hello
My grandmother is 96 and has Alzheimer's but she still lives independently at the moment (although a care home move is rapidly approaching) with the help of carers coming in three times daily.
Difficulties in telling the time were one of her early symptoms and this has gradually got worse as time has went on and she constantly complains about "modern clocks" even though the clocks she is complaining about are easily 30 plus years old.
I noticed you can get clocks that are designed for people with Alzheimer's and that the Alzheimer's Society actually sells them. The clocks have a black background with white characters which appear to be oversized. No disrespect meant to the charity but not spending £80 on a clock. So first question is do you have any experience with this type of clock with your loved one and do they help?
Nanny still goes to a day centre three days a week but apart from Sundays for some reason she gets up early every day and gets herself ready for the day centre even if she is not going and even if she has been told by me, other family members, carer that there is no day centre that day she still waits for the day centre bus collection and the only way she knows it's not a day centre day is when the bus fails to come for her. We have tried low tech solutions such as writing in a whole years worth of day centre days into her calendar but if she doesn't know the date or day this solution doesn't work.
I am fairly technical and have been able to make a "clock" that is displayed on a large 23" monitor which is on a entirely black background with white characters which simply says the day of the week and either "No Day Centre Today" or "Day Centre Today" and that's it nothing more as I don't want anything that could possibly confuse the issue. I suppose it seems ironic not wanting to spend £80 but using a big monitor and a tiny cigarette box sized computer to do the same job... but all the parts are spares and at least it will give the day centre information too. So second question... does anyone know if normal text or all caps is more readable for people with Alzheimer's?
Thanks
Robert
My grandmother is 96 and has Alzheimer's but she still lives independently at the moment (although a care home move is rapidly approaching) with the help of carers coming in three times daily.
Difficulties in telling the time were one of her early symptoms and this has gradually got worse as time has went on and she constantly complains about "modern clocks" even though the clocks she is complaining about are easily 30 plus years old.
I noticed you can get clocks that are designed for people with Alzheimer's and that the Alzheimer's Society actually sells them. The clocks have a black background with white characters which appear to be oversized. No disrespect meant to the charity but not spending £80 on a clock. So first question is do you have any experience with this type of clock with your loved one and do they help?
Nanny still goes to a day centre three days a week but apart from Sundays for some reason she gets up early every day and gets herself ready for the day centre even if she is not going and even if she has been told by me, other family members, carer that there is no day centre that day she still waits for the day centre bus collection and the only way she knows it's not a day centre day is when the bus fails to come for her. We have tried low tech solutions such as writing in a whole years worth of day centre days into her calendar but if she doesn't know the date or day this solution doesn't work.
I am fairly technical and have been able to make a "clock" that is displayed on a large 23" monitor which is on a entirely black background with white characters which simply says the day of the week and either "No Day Centre Today" or "Day Centre Today" and that's it nothing more as I don't want anything that could possibly confuse the issue. I suppose it seems ironic not wanting to spend £80 but using a big monitor and a tiny cigarette box sized computer to do the same job... but all the parts are spares and at least it will give the day centre information too. So second question... does anyone know if normal text or all caps is more readable for people with Alzheimer's?
Thanks
Robert