My mother wants a computer, to access the internet. She had one running Windows XP a few years ago, but has had health issues she’s mostly recovered from, and now wants one again. My question is about the mechanics of using one, rather than what OS, or her ability to use one. (I think she’d be fine with Windows 7. She would use it for email, Facebook, general surfing, maybe flash games. I’ll have my son install skype, in case she wants to try that.)
She’s in an assisted living home, and uses a wheelchair. She’s able to transfer herself between her motor-assisted chair and her wheelchair. She has a walker, but isn’t able to get very far in it. (I’ve looked into internet service, and it’s available. i don’t think she’d need anything particularly fast.)
I’m trying to decide what would be the best system for her. I’m worried about her ability to use a laptop on her lap, that she might drop it onto the floor. With a desktop, the monitor would be farther away, somewhere. I’d have to figure out where to put it. With either, a wireless mouse and/or keyboard might make sense. But for a wireless mouse, I’d worry that she’d drop it and it would bounce away. If she knew where it landed, she does have a grabber thingy she could get it back with. Or I could attach it with string to something.
Anyone here with experience on this? Either directly, or for someone else who’s elderly?
I would recommend a desktop and a big monitor, if there’s a place to put it. Regular wired keyboard, and a wired optical trackball mouse where she would move the trackball with her thumb to move the cursor. That way the mouse stays put, no chance of dropping it.
Windows 7 is good, somewhere in the 400 to 500 dollar range should be just fine. I can’t really recommend any manufacturer over another though.
The cheapest computers out there will do what she wants, so I would focus more on the ergonomics than the computer itself. If she has problems with some of the specifics of Windows 7 you can tweak it a bit to make it more like the XP that she is used to.
You say she is in a wheelchair, but how well do her hands work? They make keyboards with larger keys and a more rugged design (good for both elderly and young kids). You might want to look at a trackball instead of a mouse as well, though she may be able to use a regular mouse as long as it has good sized buttons on it.
A big monitor set to a lower resolution works well for those with not-so-good eyesight.
One issue with wireless components is that the battery eventually dies. Also, as you’ve noted, a wireless mouse can escape, where a wired one is always tethered and can be easily found when dropped.
On a completely different line of thought, you could also consider something like a toughbook which could be placed on a tray attached to the wheelchair. Would being able to use it in different locations be of any benefit? (On the down side, toughbooks are more expensive)
Other than being elderly and not being able to walk well, are there any other health, mobility, or usage type concerns?
My first thought was to get her an iPad with no mouse to lose and she can access pretty much whatever she wants. I’m not sure if theft would be a concern, but I think you could probably get a case for it to help protect it from drops. It would be easy to carry with her in her chair plus she can use it to read books and listen to music and such.
I went through something similar with my mother except she was not in a nursing home at the time. Depending upon your mother’s vision, a large monitor may be appropriate. One of the routine challenges with my mother (89 yrs old), involved pop up windows and I’m referring to computer generated windows on windows software updates, not internet generated. These pop ups prompted many a telephone call from my mom. Now, your mother may be savvy enough to deal with this but my mother was not. Also, occasionally mom would face other computer issues most of us consider routine but when calling me she had a difficult time describing the symptom. I found it very useful to install software on her computer and mine that gave me remote access to her computer allowing me to diagnose and attempt to correct whatever mischief she had gotten herself into.
All in all it was a positive experience for both of us because mom enjoyed the computer and I learned patience.
Given that the OP is worried about her dropping things, that might not be the best bet.
Also, old people - even healthy ones - tend to have reduced dexterity in their hands. If the OP’s mother is like that, a tablet might be the worst choice. A mouse is easier to move around than the micro-fine pointing that tablets required. Heck, even I sometimes have trouble hitting links correctly on my iPad.
And typing on the iPad is miserable. I would never recommend the iPad to someone who was using it for a lot of typing, even with the bluetooth keyboard. It’s really hard to type on either of those.
I can’t imagine an elderly person hunting and pecking for keys on a tablet or composing long emails to their kids… god help her if her hand trembles, or if she gets tired of holding the weight of an iPad, etc.
Thanks everyone for your ideas. I’m still thinking about what to do, but you’ve given me some more ideas.
Her hands shake a little, but not so much she won’t be able to use a mouse.
Mentally she’s sharp, and I think she’d be able to handle popups, but I do like this idea.
That monitor desk mount looks like a good idea.
I’m thinking about getting this wireless mouse and keyboard combo, and attaching a wire or string between the mouse and keyboard, so if she drops one, she’ll be able to get it back, but won’t be tied to the CPU box. This plus a desktop and that monitor desk mount would give her a system that’s physically stable, but flexible.