iPad apps for grandma

April 29, 2013 8:24 AM

My family and I are getting my great-grandmother an iPad, and I would like to set it up for her so she can get the most use out of it. I'm looking for app recommendations or anything else that would make an iPad as user-friendly as possible for a 94-year-old.

My great-grandmother recently moved into an assisted living facility, and we are purchasing her an iPad to replace her broken desktop computer. She mostly used her computer for playing games (particularly bridge), looking at family photos mostly from my flickr page, and on seldom occasions she would read her email.

I have checked out the browser app SilverSurf, which seems a little kludgy. I am going to set her up with Skype, but am planning on that being something we use together. So what else can I do to make sure that she gets the most out of her iPad?

posted by inertia to Computers & Internet (10 answers total)

Angry Birds, Scrabble, and my new favorite Ruzzle.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 8:37 AM on April 29, 2013

Letterpress.
posted by oceanjesse at 8:55 AM on April 29, 2013

Best answer: An easy way to do photos on an iPad is through Photo Stream. You load photos on Photo Stream at your end, they pop up automatically (and you can set up a notification) for her.

If she's a weather watcher, set up Weather Bug for her area, easy, one touch conditions and forecast.

The Red Cross has a nice little first aid application that might be useful.

If she is a TV/Movie watcher, a netflix account would be great, or set up the various tv network apps that are available.
posted by HuronBob at 8:55 AM on April 29, 2013

Seconding Netflix. It's awesome. I'd also set her home screen to have minimum app clutter.
posted by zippy at 9:02 AM on April 29, 2013

Best answer: I setup one for my mother in-law who is 67.

What did she need?
An easier way to plug-in the USB/charging cable for the iPad. She had a hard time with inserting the cable. Some Sugru at the end of the cable helped a lot.

She does like to use a stylus about half the time. She likes the oversize (really thick) ones.

She has a three position folio style cover she loves.
_____

What apps does she use?
Email/Safari
Facebook
Angry Birds
Bejewelled
Zite (news app)
The news apps from the local TV stations/newspaper
Star Walk and Google Earth
IMDB (she likes being able to get info on a movie or show while watching it)

I also added a link to Wikipedia to her home screen. She uses that a lot too.
posted by Leenie at 9:45 AM on April 29, 2013

See previous and also previous. Both ask about older folks and iPads.
posted by Wretch729 at 10:33 AM on April 29, 2013

Kindle app
posted by mattbucher at 10:43 AM on April 29, 2013 [1 favorite]

my grandma loves her ipad but mostly just plays games with it. she's really obsessed with puzzle apps where you have to put a puzzle of a kitten or some hot air balloons together. there are a million of these apps on the app store, both free and paid. it's simple enough to use, no hard rules to follow - just dragging puzzle piece next to puzzle piece next to puzzle piece.
posted by kerning at 1:13 PM on April 29, 2013

Best answer: Bridge Baron, and perhaps look around for other apps aimed at the bridge enthusiast crowd.

I'd preload the family photos for her, too.
posted by bearwife at 1:45 PM on April 29, 2013

Response by poster: Belated, but thanks so much everyone!

HuronBob--the shared photo stream suggestion is perfect! I've got a few of my family members sharing photo streams with her now. It's great that she will get a notification on her iPad when new photos are added, so she will know to check.

bearwife--I'm definitely going to get her Bridge Baron, it seems like the best bridge app out there.

I'm also going to get her some cute-overload type apps. She enjoys videos of cute puppies being cute (don't we all?)
posted by inertia at 6:29 AM on May 13, 2013