Demenita device

Joshua1001

Hi all

Could anyone advise on a tablet or phablet preferably for a person with dementia? I just want a device with large screen that can access internet, send messages, show films/sport and also has phone capability in case I want to make contact.
We have a smart phone, but its two small and fiddly, but its Vodafone and so being able to transfer the sim would be great.
Thanks

Kimbot

You won't get a large screen tablet that can take traditional phone calls. However if they are always online with internet then you could put whatsapp and viber etc onto it and use that to ring them.

Joshua1001

Thanks - hadn't thought about using whatsapp to phone. I am not very techy, but that's a great idea. I have introduced him to whatsapp, so it wouldn't be too new for him. He can't deal with new stuff at all.

Kimbot

Joshua1001 wrote: »

Thanks - hadn't thought about using whatsapp to phone. I am not very techy, but that's a great idea. I have introduced him to whatsapp, so it wouldn't be too new for him. He can't deal with new stuff at all.

Well that would be a nice cheap option, you won't even need a sim card for the device. In terms of size of device then you have to decide if 7/8 is enough of go to 10 inch. Personally I prefer the 10 inch especially for viewing films etc.

homer911

OP, my Dad has dementia. He was highly PC literate prior to this developing. He now struggles with relatively basic functionality on the PC. A dementia sufferer is unlikely to be able to adopt to a new technology - you could be wasting your money

Guy:Incognito

jonnycivic wrote: »

You won't get a large screen tablet that can take traditional phone calls. .

You can. There are plenty of lte tablets. My young lad has a galaxy tab s2. The normal phone app that Samsung use on the phones is on it.

The tab a has an lte version iirc and is cheaper than the tab s2.

Joshua1001

Thanks everyone for responses. I have purchased a tablet and am in the process of hiding everything that isn't needed and have loaded up Netflix and a couple of other things that he likes on the home screen. I am a bit confused about whatsapp though. I have loaded the version for android, but can't see how to enter contacts. Any ideas about what I am doing wrong?

Kimbot

Joshua1001 wrote: »

Thanks everyone for responses. I have purchased a tablet and am in the process of hiding everything that isn't needed and have loaded up Netflix and a couple of other things that he likes on the home screen. I am a bit confused about whatsapp though. I have loaded the version for android, but can't see how to enter contacts. Any ideas about what I am doing wrong?

You need to add them as contacts on the deivce first for them to populate in whatsapp i think.

The Diddakoi

Does the tablet have a sim and a contacts list?

I don't think whatsapp works on wifi only devices..

https://faq.whatsapp.com/en/android/21166563

"We only provide limited support to tablet users and we do not support Wi-Fi only devices at this time."

Joshua1001

Have gone into the contacts app loaded on the device, but it won't let me put up new contacts as far as I can see. Bit odd, as I don't know why that app would be pre-loaded if you can't add new contacts. Whatsapp does provide a sim free upload for android, which is the one I loaded, but I don't think its working properly. I have created a facebook account so messenger can be used, but that's new and I don't know if he will use it. I may have to look at something else.

GBX

Check the permissions for Whatsapp so that the app has access to contacts.

Kimbot

The other option you have it to fill up whatsapp on an android phone with contacts, perform a backup to Google and then restore your backup on the tablet.

niallb

I know you've already bought a tablet, but this is the first time I've seen the thread so I'll put in my 2c anyway for discussion.
Have you considered an Echo or a Google Home for at least some of what you need?

Being anchored to one spot and permanently plugged in could be useful for reliability, and they can also be used to communicate.
The Echo for example can make or answer a call to the Alexa app installed on your phone.
For the cheapest Echo Dot, you'd need to connect to a stereo system for quality but it might be worth considering.
The just released Echo Show even has a screen and promotes video calling - the screen is only 7 inches though.

My mother suffers from dementia too, and there's a lot of emphasis on keeping people talking as long as possible.
She was almost completely non-verbal for a few months around Christmas, and we're very lucky she's talking again.
She doesn't really make many decisions any more, and is happiest when she's listening to old favourite music.

In our case, music is a much bigger priority than sport or movies, but you can tell the Google Home to play a netflix movie on a TV with a chromecast plugged in, and the Alexa/Echo can do much the same to a FireTV stick. The echo can also read books from Audible, and (US only so far) read aloud any Kindle book with speech synthesis.

I installed a z-wave controller with a 24 hour / 7day timer on the heating system and it has a remotely readable thermometer on it too.
It allowed us to have a thermostat that can be in whichever room she's in at a time and the heat can be turned up from it if she feels cold.
I got a simpler one for myself after seeing how well it worked, and added the 24/7 feature on a google calendar which updates the heating set point on the simple thermostat. Linked in to my own Echo it means you can just say "Turn on the heating" and the boiler fires in seconds.

Does the person you're caring for live alone?

Joshua1001

I really appreciate any information or help given. The person I care for is at home with me, but I do work part-time so am not there all of the time, and the dementia is not yet at a level where he can't go out by himself. Sport and music would be the top interests. The tablet is good insofar as it can go with him wherever he is in the house. He likes the touchscreen, but his phone was just too small. I will just get him a slightly larger simple smart phone and take everything off there except the phone, so it can be used just for that if he is out and about. The tablet would be for when he's at home. He couldn't manage getting into Netflix on the TV with two remotes and changing to the internet, etc., so the app on the tablet is so much easier for him and he loves House of Cards. Reading or books require too much concentration and he can't handle it, so audio books are no good, I've tried. The BBC have a site for dementia with pictures and soundbites to spark memories. I'll load that up too. It helps with conversation.

niallb

A tablet definitely sounds like the best option for your situation now.

My parents have been living with us for nearly three years now, and it is an extra struggle to make sure somebody is nearby all the time, but much better than the alternative when they lived an hour's drive away. They have their own space next door to us, but we're nearby if needed and have a wireless doorbell between their bedroom and ours for any night time emergencies. My dad is still her primary carer and is very fit, but needs a lot of support as they're both in their mid eighties.

There is an Alzheimer's Cafe once a month near us in Co Meath.
It's a meetup between people who are dealing with dementia on some level at home. They organise a talk most months about some aspect of the condition or care, and we've found them very helpful. Last month's talk was on Life Story.
It's a more specific take on the BBC site as a scrapbook from the person's own life.

The idea was to gather together pictures of special people and special times and scan them into a life story app. You could make chapters for parents/childhood/children/home/holidays and special events as well as important news stories or favourite music/films throughout life. The OpenUniversity have an app that also supports video.

It can be very affirming for somebody to be able to look back through a record like that and very enjoyable, but it was also suggested as a way to enable a new carer to get to know the person in a more meaningful way.

There have been lots of other talks with various pieces of advice I would never have come across elsewhere.
As one example, we learned that pharmacists can offer far more help than most people realise.
In some cases if a person needs to take a medicine three times a day, but only has company twice a day, the pharmacist will be able to make up a morning capsule with a time release dose aimed at keeping the medication level right until the other person can be back to help.

The HSE have a page where you might find one near you.

I'm happy to chat further about dementia and technology here on thread,
but you're welcome to PM me at any stage now or in the future if you prefer.
Best of luck!

Joshua1001

I think there's one of those café events held somewhere here in Dublin too. I'll check it out. This journey is a constant one of learning to ensure quality of life for us all. The box of photos is now being opened more often and pictures taken of pictures (!) and whatsapped as prompts (hence my interest in whatsapp). I can at least use the good camera on the tablet to built up a gallery. He was a DJ (part-time) long time ago and his choice of music is somewhat eclectic so putting together a music collection will be difficult, but something to think about starting now. He can work the old CD player and so I have put it into a back bedroom and filled the shelves with his CDs. He tends to turn it up somewhat loud, but the neighbours are very understanding and are out most of the day anyway, when he is likely to be singing along. Meds are only once a day at present, so that's ok, but good to know I can chat with the chemist if needs be.
Thanks all for support.