Interesting idea!

Is there any risk of an overuse injury?

Instead of a video type game, might not a 'reading' game be as good/better?

anthony shipley

Run away with me; I can make you unhappy.

Hi Nat,

People with alzheimers often have a very difficult time learning any new
thing.   Even things like the TV remote and the telephone that they have
been using for years, can become confusing to them.

It doesn't matter how simple it is, or how many times you show them, the
part of their brain that processes memories just doesn't work very well
anymore.

Better to just enjoy his company, or sit and talk with him about old times.
That is something people with this illness are very good with, because the
oldest memories are the last ones to desert them.   They can remember the
old times, but will forget something that happened five minutes ago.

I know your heart is in the right place, and you can try it of course, but a
video game may prove frustrating to him.

Nat, you are onto a losing idea :-(

Though from what you say if he can remember a subject long enough to play
the 20Q game (I've got one of those, good arent they) he's not too bad at
the mo.

There are hand held games that plug into the tv that have things like space
invaders and so forth on them, that he might recall from 20 years ago, but I
think he's going to have a hard time picking up anything new unless there is
someone there all the time to prompt him.

Solitaire or similar card game in electronic format? Might work if he can
recall the rules from a long time ago. My father was playing scrabble until
a few years ago but even at that time couldt hold a conversation for more
than a couple of minutes.

To put this in context someone came on here a few months ago looking for an
easy to operate radio, but it turned out the person in question, when they
moved into their new house, couldnt even work out how the faucets worked,as
they were different from before. Anything more than very mild Az or it
(temporarily) being held at bay by medication, you are onto a loser.

I doubt you'll ever see him pick it up without your prompting him and then
explaining each time how to use the device, which he will then fail to
comprehend. Sorry, that's the way AD works. We buy my MIL lots of various
magazines. This provides her something easy to do that she enjoys. She reads
them for hours and underlines sections but never absorbs any of the
information. Not one bit.     best,  AW

we've had some success, at various stages in my MILs progression with
animated toys (hockey hamsters that played music when you touch their
hands/feet and so on) ...  a remote control car was a HUGE hit a couple of
Christmases ago .... was actually hubby's, but MIL loved it (who'd a thunk
it - not I!) ...she played with it for months.... this year, I threw a silly
musical toy in his stocking and she's appropriated that.... she likes the
fact that no matter what button she pushes, it makes music

she's into keys now too .... the friend that made an activity apron for her
included keys hidden in it ...so far that's the only part of the apron that
really interests her

of course, nothing lasts forever with this illness...what works now won't
work later.... but it works the other way too ... if you get something that
doesn't work now, it just might later ..  often worth giving it another go
another day...week... month ... whatever...later