<p>Could you find a tech savvy teen (paid)to stop by your dad’s a couple of times per day to assist with the technical aspects of starting new audio books, adjusting the laptop, etc? Noise cancelling headphones seem like they would be a must.</p>
<p>Does he have friends that could maybe visit more regularly so he has social stimulation every day to look forward to?</p>
<p>This really does sound very challenging on so many levels. I feel badly he has to go through it at 86. </p>
<p>Honestly, I think I would be asking for sedatives in hopes of sleeping away most of the two weeks.</p>
<p>Also sounds like a tablet would work a lot better than a laptop. Maybe someone could loan him one for the two weeks.</p>
<p>Agree… but no one in our family has a tablet, and not sure any of their friends (all in their 80s!) do, either. I do think some friends will stop by. </p>
<p>I would loan you my Kindle Fire for two weeks but it is only the 7.5" one. Not sure that would be adequately large enough. If you think it would help let me know. I wonder if maybe someone rents them? I will Google to see. An iPad would probably be easiest.</p>
<p>You can’t maintain face down while sleeping. You can start out face down or close to it, but people change position. I’ve read you need to be face down 16 out of 24 hours a day, at least for a retina detachment. The one thing you don’t want to do while sleeping is be face up. On your side is ‘good enough’ but when I’d wake up overnight I tried to get as face down as I could. Don’t know how long I stayed that way.</p>
<p>I like to sleep on my stomach, but obviously face down into a pillow doesn’t work!! I feel badly for anyone who had to go thorough this type of surgery. Honestly one hour a day of face downness sounds hard. Especially if you can’t see. </p>
<p>One thing to mention, especially for an 86 year old is walking. You need to be slightly bent over, take small steps and be looking at the tops of your feet. There may be a risk of falling in an older person. Around the house and even outside in the yard where I was familiar with the layout it was fine, but for follow up doctor visits you need someone to keep you from bumping into things or people. Riding in a car was very uncomfortable maintaining the position. Seat belts aren’t made for someone bent over with their head in their hands looking down. Due to the airbag possibility I rode in the back seat with the front passenger seat way forward. We did have a long drive for the follow ups though.</p>
<p>I sat in one chair, put my plate on the seat of another chair, hunched over and ate. I used a straw to drink. I’m not sure what medicare covers as far as assistance, but when I had mine, Humana didn’t cover the chair rental as it’s not required, just a convenience.</p>
<p>Medicare won’t cover the chair, and I don’t think they will cover a massage therapist. They cover things like PT and speech therapy, but I doubt any nursing care will be provided for this…</p>
<p>This response is probably too late for the OP, but I had a macular hole repaired 10 years ago, in my 40s, and I had to keep my head down for a week. I rented the massage-like chair, which was equipped with a mirror so I could easily watch TV (but this was before Netflix so I couldn’t binge watch like now), and I had a device so I could sleep with my head facing down and off the bed, and I also had a portable device so I could rest my head while I sat on the couch, at the kitchen table, or in the car. I had big plans of scrapbooking and doing projects during the week, as I had one good eye. But it turned out I slept a lot, probably due to boredom. Good luck!</p>
<p>Not too late… surgery is Friday. We just got the chair and set it up today. My dad has trouble with his other eye, so is worried he won’t be able to see to do anything for a while. He has that mirror device, too. This was going to be stressful enough… then my mom fell down the basement steps tonight. Nothing broken after a call to 911 and four hours in the ER, but cuts and bruises, going to complicate helping him through his recovery. Sigh…</p>
<p>Thought I would give an update. My dad’s surgery went well, although the poor guy has been terribly bored. He has been essentially blind for about 2 weeks, as he has no vision in the eye that didn’t have surgery. I think most people can watch some TV using a mirror device, play cards, or even read with their good eye. He can’t do any of that. He no longer has to stay face down, but can’t drive, read, or see well yet. The gas they put in his eye is gradually receding, and he is starting to get some vision back. Can’t tell for a few more weeks yet how it worked, but so far it looks good. I came to their place to help out for a week and work remotely – and got a call today that back home the dog tore her ACL at the kennel and needs surgery. Womp. Anyone else need nursing?</p>
<p>He is now listening to some. He had a hard time because he couldn’t see the buttons to push, and the first CD player we had was kind of touchy. He kept hitting the wrong button and losing his place in a disk. We switched to another CD player that is a little easier for him, and he tries to listen to a whole disk at a time before stopping. I took him to the library, and we picked out a couple of audio books together (feeling thankful for Patrick O’Brian books at the moment…). I tried to get him to learn to use the player BEFORE the surgery, but he wouldn’t do it…it would have been easier, that is for sure.</p>
We switched to another CD player that is a little easier for him, and he tries to listen to a whole disk at a time before stopping. I took him to the library, and we picked out a couple of audio books together (feeling thankful for Patrick O’Brian books at the moment…). I tried to get him to learn to use the player BEFORE the surgery, but he wouldn’t do it…it would have been easier, that is for sure.</p>