At this point, Brian lives in his power wheelchair and doesn’t really like to be moved around because it stirs up his secretions. We moved our bed into the living room and that’s where you’ll find us 90% of the time.
It’s just the way it is. Brian doesn’t complain about it and if he wants to go somewhere he’ll let me know.
We have a beautiful backyard with lots of critters around, including chipmunks, deer, fox and oh so many birds. My aunt gave us a lovely wooden birdhouse that Brian’s dad put on a post for us. We call it the ‘bird chalet’. It should probably be called “Oliver’s Smorgasborg Buffet” as a squirrel seems to think it’s just for him.
We also have a pole in the backyard that holds two feeders. It’s harder for Oliver to reach those, nanny nanny boo boo you effin’ squirrel! Like, they eat a lot of food!
Birds are so fun to watch. Each type has its own behavior patterns. Blue jays are big and mean. Cardinals are next, the male will sit on the feeder for several minutes, then will play lookout nearby while the female eats.
Brian’s chair faces the TV. He typically surfs the net, chats with friends and makes art or music while the TV is on. He has the ability to control the TV, lights, and thermostat through his computer/eye gaze. That is amazing…thank you technology!
Still, it takes effort to simply turn Brian’s chair for him to look out the window. It disrupts us both and I hate that he can’t just look out at the window when I see a cool bird or animal. We go out on the patio or sit in the driveway together but not every day.
I wish I’d thought of it sooner but for Christmas, I came up with a great way to give Brian a different view than just the TV and his peripheral views of the windows. A wireless security camera! It was so easy to set up and now he can watch the birds with me!
The camera is a Zmodo outdoor security camera and it was less than $50. All I did was take it out of the box, plug it in, and set it up on the Zmodo app, which I’d already downloaded. SO easy and SO nice for Brian. It makes us both so happy. It even has night vision. (We are not affiliated to Zmodo, just the camera Brian decided on after doing research. There are other outdoor cameras that do the same thing but we love this setup!)
BONUS! I can send it to the TV from my iphone to apple TV via Airplay. Brian can send it to the TV via Google Chromecast. We really can watch the birds at the same time. It’s also compatible with Alexa so PALS can use their voice controls to send commands as well.
Here’s exactly what I purchased to make this happen, along with links to the products on Amazon. (Check out smile.amazon.com then select a charity. All your purchases will automatically have a portion donated for you.)
Zmodo Wireless Security Camera
Don’t let the term wireless fool you. The camera does need to be wired to power, but it can be monitored wirelessly, through your computer or smart phone. Zmodo has a desktop app in addition to their mobile app, which is great for Brian, as his eye gaze setup doesn’t always work with mobile platforms.
Another bonus is that you can take photos and videos with the Zmodo app! It’s been so worth the investment. We’ve “sipped coffee” together and watched the birds, plus I can reposition it so Brian can see the yard. He was able to watch the snow falling a little while ago.
This setup is a nice and easy way to get your PALS “outside” without causing a lot of fuss. I’ve seen a lot of smiles from Brian because of a cardinal or titmouse that stops by for a bite. And c’mon, who doesn’t love to say titmouse?!
What other cool ways does your PALS stay connected to the outside world? We’d love to hear about it! Or let us know if you have any questions about this setup Email us at info@strengthoflove.org. We love to share ideas! .
Here are a couple of photos for now. More coming soon, along with video. Enjoy!
