Well, what about watching movies. I would say older films, that they have seen before/ That way they don't really have to keep up. D'you know what I mean? I watch movies with my Dad and that is a great bonding experience for us. It is weird, but true. We usually watch old movies, but last year I got him the box set of Band of Brothers and The Pacific. We would watch them every Monday night, and it took literally months. Something else is looking at old photographs. You will learn things, too.. This is a great pastime. I hope this help a little. Warm regards ~atticus

In addition to Atticus63... I remember watching a show called "Ma & Pa kettle" Its Really old.. (ok for my generation it is) but its funny and i think it too comes in Box set.
Have you thought about asking them what they like to do? Or maybe take them someplace like a park... and play a game there.. I used to play a game like a scavenger hunt with my grandpa when we went somewhere.. (he was suffereing from early alheimerzs) so as we did our shoppping i would say...first one to spot a woman in a hat gets to ______fill in blank______ ... and it would just be something kind of fun.. Really ageing parents are just like us.. they just see things in a different perspective. . . Also... You can find just about anything on pinterest.... Find a "easy" craft.. and make something.. Like you each make a christmas decoration.. Or a stepping stone.. they are super easy.. take little effort.. and are unique.. so in years to come you can look back at that (whatever craft) and cherish the quality time.. Does that make sense? Pinterest is full of ideas.. "kids crafts" are the simplist :) becareful though.. pinterest.. is addicting. :) hope that helps for some ideas.

The key is to redefine quality time. Sounds like mom was a very intelligent person. For your sake and her's too you need to accept that those days are gone but your mom is still here.

Movies are good but in my experience with my dad they just put him to sleep faster. Also he couldn't hear well so either he missed everything or the rest of us got blasted.

If your mom is able you might want to try a puzzle. It's something that can be done in any amount of time and there is no judging of right or wrong answers. I would just pick something with bright, clear colors so it isn't impossible.

I hear you about the depressing part. Especially when we know this is where we are heading ... in only 30 years or so!!! Whaaa!!!!

Yes. It IS very depressing! But it will happen to most of us! It has been very sad to me watching my patrents slip away. but I am grateful I have had them as long as I have. Wouod have been MUCH worse to have lost them in a car accident or a horrible disease at an early age!

One way I cope is to try to find some humor in it. Like when my dad cant tell mew who I am on some days I ask him well dad who am I today? And then we all just crack up!

How about checkers?

Thanks very much for all the replies. Like Tigg2's experiences, movies seem to put my parents to sleep faster. A part of a movie that is on tv can be good sometimes, but it's disheartening to look over and see them both fast asleep, it makes me feel like I'm the only one there. Occasional movies he watches but then I'm not always interested in them. He'd never keep going for an entire box-set.

I'm starting to think there are all kinds of ways that people get older. Some fall asleep all the time, some get very bad memory, some get extremely slow, some get very angry, some loud etc. Since both of my parents fall asleep a lot like this all the time, I'm willing to bet it's in store for me also.

Sometimes when I look at my dad just resting, he looks in a lot of pain. I've seen him deteriorate so badly in the past ten years or so, losing all energy, unable to sit up very well anymore.

My dad is clinging on to his driver's licence for now... don't get me started about that. However since mom gave up driving, he feels like he has to continue. It's extremely unfair how society tells elderly people not to drive if they're not sure of their ability, and yet they have no real alternatives. My dad hasn't taken buses in years. Sometimes it's fine and I start to feel bad about what I said... however it doesn't take long being a passenger again before I start to remember why... god only knows what it's like when I'm not there.

We used to play checkers before, I guess though with checkers it's kind of all or nothing. At least with some other games you can have fun and still lose.

My parents were viewing something on tv yesterday where there were four well-known personalities on a show that was obviously done years ago.

I said "Is that Ronan Collins?" - I knew it was but he just looked so different and so young, before he got the diabetes and when his hair was dark and he had this moustache.

And my dad said that the guy on the left was Daniel O' Donnell, I couldn't believe it. He looked so youthful and thin. I said: "god, he was a young man then"... and my dad said "what? then?".

.... my dad thought that this was "live". I had my doubt for a second, just a flicker of doubt hoping he was right, but then a shot of Daniel O' Donnell again just confirmed what I already knew. Then my dad actually said they were interviewed before the singing and it was "live".... so he had even watched an interview with them.

I remember with a lot of regret and pain when, and it wasn't so long ago... maybe 10-15 years, when whenever my dad said something, I would be afraid to contradict him. He'd be almost never wrong. He'd say something with such strength and he'd know it was right.

Now... he's hardly sure of anything anymore. He got the name of one of his favourite tv shows wrong, he mixed it up with something else, and still didn't get it until I told him.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh... this is horrible.

As to how old was the programme that was on? When it was over the year came across the screen...: 1988.

And they are always sleeping. I don't want to end up like that ever.

The fact that you are there is quality for mother. You, care enough to worry about it. That speaks volumes!

Mom needs you. Try to just accept her need to sleep more

I agree, the best way is to redefine quality time. Or just go straight to quantity time and wait for the quality moments.

My grandfather used to play chess; it was his game. As a child he would always spot me the rooks, and still beat me. The last few times we played I spotted him the rooks avoided several guaranteed winning moves, in general let the game go on. I don't think he really enjoyed it.

So my lesson from that was to be careful about intellectual things. It is one thing to be "carefully careless", but to go overboard, odds are they will see it.

How about talking? Let them tell the same story over and over. Or do crafty things that do not involve winning and losing.

Well better to have t hem sleepy than angry and running off getting lost.

Try telling family stories.

Trojan,

You are so right. It is always so scary to have them lost and alone. Seems there are dangers for them in every season of the year.