back from the dead

[mayhap]

Thank you all so much for your kind thoughts.

My grandmother escaped from the hospital -- we threw all of her stuff into plastic bags on Friday morning and ran off before they could change their minds -- and is tentatively living in her own home-like space in assisted living with outpatient physical therapy. She has terrible unexplained inflammation in her hands which is seriously curtailing her abilities to maintain and sustain herself. She isn't suffering from any immediately threatening condition besides a flagging will to live.

Does anyone have any good suggestions for things to do besides read and watch TV that don't require a lot of stamina or physical dexterity or personal mobility? My mom and I have been drawing blanks, although we did hit up the used bookstore for some fresh books, and, of course, visited and chatted while we were there. I wish we were closer.

In more cheerful (?) news, someone's written the Inferno with zombies! Now, why must it be a $50 limited edition?

Comments

[wisdomeagle]

Well, there's always books-on-tapeCD and other things on tape -- maybe your grandmother could become an expert on symphonic music (or do the sort of classes-on-tape/tv/etc and become an expert in just about anything).

[mayhap]

Good idea -- I could even mail her mix CDs and other fun stuff!

[wisdomeagle]

Care packages, they are awesome things.

[thistleingrey.livejournal.com]

Does she draw at all? Or perhaps do crosswords / similar? Music? Music can be nice for naps, too, but it breaks up the time a bit so that days don't drag on endlessly. (CDs are much better than MP3 players for this.)

[mayhap]

She can't write very much right now because of the pain -- signing her name is pretty much her limit, and then only when absolutely necessary -- but it's not impossible that that might improve. Drawing is an interesting possibility. I wonder if she can get hooked up with an art therapist who could help her work out some kind of adaptive drawing method.

Music is a wonderful idea! I'm going to try to find some stuff that would have been popular when she was younger and make her some mix CDs.

[chilango.livejournal.com]

Get her a DS and Brainage, or other similar games that don't require dexterity.

Depending on how bad her inflammation is this may not be that helpful, but honestly, if she can turn the pages on a book and/or operate a telephone, she should be good for that sort of thing.

[mayhap]

I have played BrainAge and it requires dexterity. It didn't like the way I drew my 5s, or the way I said the word 'red', and told me I was, like, 102 mentally. :-P Turning pages of a book isn't so bad, but the gripping of a pen or stylus is pretty bad. Knitting has been ruled out for the same reason.

She used to be a Dr. Mario fiend back in the day, though, so I can totally see her taking to some kind of gaming. I know they have a Wii bowling league at her complex and that she used to love bowling (we bowled every year for her birthday for years), so I'll ask her if she's given that a try.