Laura Elizabeth's post about her grandma started me thinking.  

#1 What did the aged/infirm to 100 years ago when there was no radio or tv to be glued to?

#2 What would you do if you had your aged/infirm grand/parent living with you to keep them occupied?  Eyesight fails, hearing fails, arthritis robs them of the ability to do hand work, what to do?

Does anyone have a grandparent they can ask about what their grandparents did?

Marsha

My elderly grandma (RIP) was bed-ridden and nearly blind for two years.  Because she required round the clock professional care that nobody could provide, she was in a small Catholic nursing home only five blocks from our house.  One or more of us were present unless she requested solo-time.  Granny liked to listen to music, lip-synch the Rosary which she simply held, her arthritis being too severe to finger the beads.  She liked to tell us stories from her youth, listen to poetry, dramatic readings, especially Shakespeare.  She enjoyed the simple pleasure of having us push her bed to the open window to enjoy fresh air, sunlight on her skin, and the sounds from outdoors.  We kept fresh flowers beside her bed because she could tell which flowers were included in a bouquet by scent.  She died a holy death of old age at 102 in November of 2001.

The priorities we had were to make sure we looked after the basics first - healthy fresh food, vitamins and so on if needed, safety around the home, mobility aids and all of those things that gave our grandparents as much independence as possible, and the reassurance that help was easy to get should it be needed. That gave them confidence to do as much as they were able, so for a long time we didn't have to do anything in particular. The other thing was less easy which was to wait for them to have the insight into their limitations which we usually saw coming much earlier.

Otherwise we tried to spend as much time as possible outdoors with them, and get them to stay active in their interests. For example they always grew vegetables and fruit so we raised the garden beds, and got some potted miniature fruit trees so they could attend to them without us having to constantly worry about them falling over.

But if the brain goes it can get very difficult.

...she was in a small Catholic nursing home only five blocks from our house...

I didn't know there were any Catholic nursing homes, what city is that?

Marsha

Currently, my mother who will be 98 years old next month, (May) is living in my home and can not leave her bed, she depends on me for everything.

 Before she fell this year between Christmas and New Year, she was able to walk, work her search a word books, watch T.V. mainly Lawerence Welk and any like shows.  However since her fall, she lost interest in these things, her eye sight has gone down hill, but she is in good spirits and barely complains about anything.  She seems to have vivid dreams these days, and thinks they are real, yesterday when she awoke she insisted that someone came into her room to tell her to get ready to receive Holy Communion from the priest.  She wanted her head covering and was upset when I brought her breakfast, telling me, "why are you giving me food, I must fast now". (it must have been a dream, because Father always calls first).   She is always fingering her rosary.  She never asks for food, but will usually eat it when I bring it to her.  I often wonder about her, and what is going through her mind, since she is also almost deaf making it difficult to sit and talk to her.  The grandchildren come in once in awhile and sing to her, also the nuns from Mount St. Michael come in and sing to her occasionally, then she gives them a big smile.  

She can't even move or turn herself in bed, and depends on myself to turn her from side to side.  My daily prayer is that I will not live as long as she, but that I will outlive her, because I worry what will happen if I should die before her.