My dad had a new hip just over a week ago and is really bored as he can't walk around etc.  He loves reading but just isn't inthe mood for it.  Can anyone think of anything that he can do whilst he's immobilised.  He wants to get up and about but of course is only allowed to do so much.

Does he have a computer ? Could he become a CD addict :D

Daisy

Could you get him a laptop?   He could then learn (if he doesn't already know how) to get around on the computer - give him a new window on the world!

Margot

Hello!
Possibly art? Drawing, painting, ink, photography- Theres a wide range he could explore! Might be fun for him if he does some work and then posts on a website like [link]www.wetcanvas.com[/link] and get feedback on his work? :)

Films are always good to pass the time and long series of programs which you can buy (for example- nip tuck, six feet under, sex and the city, the OC etc)

Also jigsaws may be an idea, or he could always try and write his own book! (You never know, could be a best seller!;)) Ill try and think of some more and I do hope he gets better soon. I know how boring it got when I broke my ankle :(

Could he either write/dictate onto tape his life story and/or tales of his family. These are always things that we wish that we'd asked our parents/grandparents when they are no longer with us :)

Daisy

Daisy - I was just going to post the self-same suggstion!!

Margot

He does have a computer maybe next week he'll go back onto it.  I was thinking about drawing or something like that.

I'll have to think of some tricks that he could start trying to get Lana their Spanish to do.  He can't bend of course so I'll have to put my thinking cap on.  Thanks for everyones suggestions.

Hope your dad gets better soon :)
I look after a lady that has just had her hips done, shes getting around a bit better now, But was really bored too.
All she seemed to do though was watch tv and videos oh and sleep lol.
Are you Spanish? I no you have spanish water dogs, Was just wondering. I am trying to learn it at evening school.
Jane

lazydaze, unfortunately no, I live here in England.  I hope that one day I will move to Spain though as I have fallen in love with the country.  I love the old villages etc. and I'm sure that one day, hopefully in not too many years I will live at least part time over there, fingers crossed.

Thats our ambition too.
But i couldnt leave my boys :(
Well not just yet, they are mind you 25, 23, and 18 lol
Not doing to well on my spanish, but trying.
Jane

Jigsaw puzzles
:)
I find them very relaxing...........until you find a piece missing LOL.

Tracing his family tree?  Jigsaws of course.  Painting by numbers - very relaxing and he doesn't have to keep the "works of art".  Knitting (many men do, you know!), writing letters to grandchildren, poetry etc etc - good luck :D

Sudoku?  It's very addictive and keeps the mind active.

Vicki, unfortunately for my dad the only grandchildren that he has are the 4 legged kind :d  He was telling the nurses, wouldn't miind but I work in an office at the end of the ward that he wants granchildren!! 

I think he'll be waiting a long time.  Would love children but I'm very old fashioned and would never have one night stands or just get with someone for a child!!!!

Jackyjat, what's Sudoku?

Sudoku is a kind of logic number puzzle that you don't need any mathematical skills to solve.  A standard Su Doku puzzle is a table of 3 by 3 boxes, each of which contains a 3 by 3 array of cells to make a 9 by 9 grid. At the start of the puzzle, some cells are filled with digits and some are empty. To solve a puzzle you must fill in the empty cells according to these restrictions: every row, every column and every 3 by 3 box must contain one instance of the digits 1-9.

They vary in difficulty from easy to almost impossible and you can do an easy puzzle in about 20 mins or less.  Much like a crossword, you get better with practice.  It's very addictive and great fun. Most of the daily newspapers have them each day.

If your dad likes puzzles, he could take this opportunity of enforced rest to become an expert!

How about some of the travel size games likes mini chess, solitaire, chinese chequers (yeah, I'm a mine of exciting info :rolleyes: ) but I was genuinely going to suggest painting, sketching or jigsaws - just everybody beat me to it :D

Hope he feels better soon - I know it's a huge op and he's been very brave but very wise to go ahead with it.  Give him my best wishes for a speedy recovery and remember to nag him into doing his physio exercises regardless of his frame of mind - they are absolutely essential!

Teri ;)

I can't believe how brilliantly he's doing actually.  He had a bad time after the op. with memory etc. but I believe that this can happen sometimes, he's a lot better now though, very worrying to see an intelligent man not knowing how to write his own name.

He's up and down the stairs so easily, I keep telling him off and telling him to make sure that the crutch is fully down on the floor :d  He can't believe that he's hardly had any pain and won't take any pain killers, it's just totally amazing.  It was hard work getting him there though I can tell you, but after pestering from myself and mum and some of his family we finally did.

I'll have to pop out to the Craft shop and see if they have anything or else he'll drive my mum round the bend :d

Could you not hire him a ride on buggy for a week or so, at least he could get out and about then.  I'm sure one of the mobility shops hire them.

LOL good to hear that he is making a great recovery. Sounds like he needs something to slow him down a bit now :D