Mom loves to read books, but she has bad arthritis in her hands and fingers. It really is a chore for her to read, but she keeps plugging on. Quite a bit of determination still but a friend of ours, a very good friend, bought Mom a Kindle, when he was visiting with us this summer.
Took awhile, but we finally got her to start using it, and you know, she really loves it.
It was a $160 investment that is paying off huge dividends.
First off, it is very easy to use. I mean come on, if a 94 year old can figure it out, and enjoy it, anyone can. It isn’t like she is technologically savvy, but it is simple, read and press to keep on reading. But more than that, it allows for a wide range of font sizes.
Now that is also a super plus. I mean the print is huge and there are still two more higher resolution options left. It means she doesn’t have to strain her eyes. No more hunting for large print books, and paying outrageous prices for them either. The machine does it all for them.
It is super light, which takes a lot of pressure off her arthritic hands.
The benefit for me is that I can purchase her books, without going hunting for them all over. AND they are usually half the price of the paperback edition, which means I can save a few extra dollars. Let me tell you, unless you are wealthy, caring for an older parent is not cheap. Between what Pharmacare doesn’t cover and the other essentials she needs, saving five or six bucks is huge.
Bottom line, if you have a Senior who likes to read, check out the Kindle ebook reader. It may intimidate them at first, but if you have some patience, sit down with them and help them through it, they should be able to pick it up in no time. Mom took about one hour at first, then another hour the next day and now she is a trooper in using it.
Staples has them too, but our friend ordered direct from Amazon. I don’t see any savings from Staples and I’d also suggest simply getting the wireless version, not the 3G with Wi-Fi.
Some of the other benefits, that we haven’t explored yet, is that there are also newspaper and magazines subscriptions you can get, delivered wirelessly to your Kindle. I mean it is unbelievable at all that is out there, for use on the Kindle.
Bottom line is that it is an electronic device that a Senior can easily handle, use, and enjoy. It gives them some relief too, if they are arthritic or have bad eyesight. Oh, and for the really difficult folks, invest in a pair of good headphones, and your Kindle can read the book to them.
There are times I hate technology, but this is one example, of how it can help improve a person’s quality of life, and that is worth the price.
