Dementia - need a clock and calendar 26 November 2011 at 11:35AM edited 29 November 2011 at 9:42PM in Disability Money Matters 25 replies 41.7K views

Tiddlywinks

A relative has dementia and has just lost the ability to read and understand a traditional clock face but can still understand a digital display of time such as 11:47 (but not 24hr like 23:47) - I know this is unusual as it is often the other way around.

I have been searching for days for an easy to read clock / calendar and can't find anything in any of the independent living stores or online.

Does anyone know of anywhere that I might buy one?

Thanks.

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bluebird

go in here http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/retail_product_browse.php?categoryID=11&productID=229 look in their shop for many other useful items.good luck.

Mojisola

After my parents got up a few times at, for example, twenty to four in the morning because they misread the clock as saying twenty past eight, I bought a clock very similar to this one - http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.208-9208.aspx - for them to have in the bedroom.

I also have a whiteboard in their kitchen and, the night before, I write the following day and anything that's happening, like GP's appointments, family visiting, etc, so that they can look at it every morning and know what's happening.

kingfisherblue

The Works sells a basic calendar with a red border and black letters/numbers. There are a few styles available, but I get my mum a larger style as she finds it clear to see and understand. It costs about 99p.

ladylouise62

They may not mention it, but a lot of alarms have the option to choose 24 hr or 12 hr, so it may be worth checking.

Tiddlywinks

bluebird wrote: »

go in here http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/retail_product_browse.php?categoryID=11&productID=229 look in their shop for many other useful items.good luck.

Thanks, I've already had a look on the site and that is a great idea for the future when time does not matter so much to her but at the moment she wants something a bit more specific.

Mojisola wrote: »

After my parents got up a few times at, for example, twenty to four in the morning because they misread the clock as saying twenty past eight, I bought a clock very similar to this one - http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.208-9208.aspx - for them to have in the bedroom.

I also have a whiteboard in their kitchen and, the night before, I write the following day and anything that's happening, like GP's appointments, family visiting, etc, so that they can look at it every morning and know what's happening.

Thanks for the suggestions - unfortunately that sort of clock display has too much information in one place and confuses her. I've just found something in Maplins with just the time and nothing else and will have to get a seperate calendar for the day and date.

The whiteboard is a good idea but I was hoping to find an automatic calendar so that it changes even if someone doesn't go in. Other than this issue and a bit of putting things down and then "losing" them, she is actually pretty good - she just cannot now understand clock faces which is a little bizarre.

kingfisherblue wrote: »

The Works sells a basic calendar with a red border and black letters/numbers. There are a few styles available, but I get my mum a larger style as she finds it clear to see and understand. It costs about 99p.

Thanks for this - I might get one to make notes for her but still think she needs an automatic one as well as she doesn't have someone in every day so would need to remember to change it herself on a few days and that might just confuse her.

kingfisherblue

Amazon £11.99, auotmatic calendar with small clock

http://www.amazon.co.uk/bellasdirect-Flip-Alarm-Clock-Calendar/dp/B004OSNQ1Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1322341338&sr=8-3

Or this one, but I can't see the price. The clock is a lot more visible though

http://www.wharton.co.uk/analogue-clocks/analog-calendar-clocks.htm

cte1111

I've been looking for something similar for my Dad, as he gets confused about what day it is. I've narrowed it down to this one:
http://www.johnlewis.com/154686/Product.aspx (might be too much information for your Mum though)

This one has a standard clock face so no good in your case, but is recommended for dementia sufferers:
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/6239095/Trail/searchtext%3ECLOCK.htm

Bear in mind that the cheaper calendar clocks need manually clicking over between the days, e.g. the date function is not automatic.

withabix

We bought this one for my mum for the same reasons:

http://www.johnlewis.com/Shopping/Product.aspx?Type=SKU&Id=230418356

Well worth it. No issues about what day or date it is, the time or if the flat is hot or cold!

Wall mounted (also has a stand) and automatic time/day/date setting.

Mojisola

How about this one - https://www.rnib.org.uk/shop/pages/Enlargedimage.aspx?productID=CC6401&productimg=CC6401

Or this - https://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/2550431/Trail/searchtext%3ECLOCKS.htm

Or this - http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.208-9119.aspx?utm_source=GoogleShopping&utm_medium=GSF_NormalFeed&utm_campaign=GSF_TescoDirect&utm_content=208-9119

Tiddlywinks

I've bought a couple of these clocks so that she can see the time - they are bolder in real life than in the picture and the big snooze button on the top is also used to light the display (so easy to use):

http://www.maplin.co.uk/auric-alarm-clock-228345

I'm still looking for a calendar - the cheaper "flip" ones seem to have mixed reviews with some reporting that they get stuck or flaps fall out.