Reply With QuotePretty straightforward but a 98 year old with eyesight issues may have problems. I guess if you set it up and download the books, set the font size and brightness it maybe OK. What about audio books?Originally Posted by tixntox
Mum, has macular degeneration and is struggling to read her "paperback" books. Magnifiers seem to be a waste of time as they distort the pages and are a total faff! How easy would a Kindle be for a 98 year old with nil computer savvy and no internet? Any advice appreciated. I could download anything for her but I haven't used one at all, so have no knowledge of such electrickery!!
Pretty straightforward but a 98 year old with eyesight issues may have problems. I guess if you set it up and download the books, set the font size and brightness it maybe OK. What about audio books?
Sent you a pm.
Thanks so far folks. Has anyone experience of elderly readers who are having difficulty? We are looking into talking books/cd's, etc. She is soooo independent, which is good, but frustrating at the same time! :)
I was going to say this ^^^^^^^^^^^
Having gone through 4/5 years of macular degeneration with my mother in law (RIP) I would say get her on audiobooks. Our local libraries Flintshire & Burnley had thousands of books on free loans. My mil had two kindles with over 270 purchased titles on) and near the end she had the character enlargement up to the extent there were maybe four words on the screen.
Audio books gave her a good 2/3 years. Which would make your fine lady a centenarian:). Dont go down the audible Amazon route until you have explored your County’s library offering, as audio books are Kindle prices and libraries are free.
You can download the books to a simple tablet , one of your old ones at your house and take them round. Remember a kindle needs wi fi too.
My mil was getting through an audio book a day when her sight really started to fail.
Another top tip, go on the RNIB and get a pack of the little sticky red blobs to stick on things like the kettle microwave fans TV remote switches . They are both bright and tactile and thus maintain independence.
Last edited by higham5; 3rd February 2023 at 14:42.
Good advice, thank you. No internet, she has enough trouble just using a phone without getting scammed! She now knows to talk to no number that she doesn't know or have on her friends list! It's taken over ten years to get her to lock the door!!!
RNIB is probably your best bet for info and devices. For example they have a sim based devices that can play audio books. Though it may be cheaper to get internet and use an Alexa device to play the books the RNIB provide. Depends I guess if the mobile just replaces an existing one so the cost is just switched.
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