Mom's nursing home has a very few mp3 players with limited playlists, a CD player but only 3 CDs that I have been able to find, and no internet. Local radio stations don't play suitable music, so they would just be noise rather than entertainment. There are some nice music stations available through the cable tv, but the two sets in the common areas are tuned to sports and movies and I can seldom change the channel. I've considered paying for cable in her room, but she is usually only there to sleep and she has room mates.If I spend hours pirating music from youtube and upload it to an mp3 player, who will turn it on and off for her? And how will I keep it from being left on so it is never charged, or from disappearing? The logistics just make me tired, I feel like Sisyphus pushing that d***ed boulder up hill because nothing I try accomplishes anything.
You could purchase an echo dot to connect to wifi and she just needs to speak to it to turn off and on. It costs $50 and you would have to secure it (super glue?) to prevent easy stealing. You will need to get it set up for her but she can then ask for weather, time, news, music. My LO loves his as is also unable to use a CD player now. Hope this works for you.
Oh yes. Electronic items do have a way of getting moved around. I'm not sure who is responsible. It could have been my cousin, her roommate, other residents or the Memory Care staff or maintenance people.
BUT, the big issue is not getting access to the music, it's getting it turned on and off. My cousin might enjoy hearing the music, but she no longer has the ability to turn on/off the device. She doesn't notice notes or sign that say TURN ON RADIO. So, you have to rely on the staff to turn it on and off for her. And, another resident or roommate could turn it off later or change station. So, it's a challenge. If she stayed in her room more, I'd try to get real creative, but since she doesn't, I just take music with me when I visit and play it for her then.
If my previous suggestion is not "inexpensive" based on needing to buy a computer/device, what about seeking out your local Catholic church and asking for them to provide some cds? They might do that for your mom. Also, in my area, people will give away their older but still working computers on craigslist. It wouldn't be fancy, but may suit your purpose.
She should have wifi access, I would think. So get any Internet device - tablet, laptop, desktop connected to the wifi, and there are countless 24/7 channels that will play that music for her.
Search for "rosary music" or "easy listening" and you'll find hundreds of options. :-)
My suggestion would be to go to Best Buy and purchase a ROKU 3 streaming player; hook it up to your mom's tv (assuming you have an internet connection for her). From there, you can access Pandora (plus all sorts of streaming services). Access an easy listening feed, and voila.
I hope we can get some answers to this question. I haven't had much luck with my attempts to get the staff to turn on my cousin's radio to the Oldies and/or Country music station on her radio daily. I eventually gave up, since she doesn't spend that much time in her room anyway, but, if she were there much, I think it's an excellent idea.
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BUT, the big issue is not getting access to the music, it's getting it turned on and off. My cousin might enjoy hearing the music, but she no longer has the ability to turn on/off the device. She doesn't notice notes or sign that say TURN ON RADIO. So, you have to rely on the staff to turn it on and off for her. And, another resident or roommate could turn it off later or change station. So, it's a challenge. If she stayed in her room more, I'd try to get real creative, but since she doesn't, I just take music with me when I visit and play it for her then.
Search for "rosary music" or "easy listening" and you'll find hundreds of options. :-)