Before being diagnosed, she did a lot of genealogy research and communicating via the internet. It was her hobby after retiring to help people who were searching for their ancestors. We moved her computer to our house when she came to live here, but now each time she gets online, she gets confused and frustrated to the point she ends up upset and has a major melt down. How do I approach her, and help her see that something she once enjoyed doing, now causes her to be upset?
Maybe you already do have a spell check program. Does she realize that she is misspelling, or does a red line appearing under words alert her to it and thus upset her? If this is the issue, that can be turned off.
I think her friends need a class in sensitivity and a wake up, YES, their friend really does have Alzheimers and they need to write more simplistically. Short words. Short sentences. No commas. Separate thoughts in separate sentences. No two part directions.
They need to understand that she won't be able to do this for very long and it would be kind if they could work with her while it is possible.
As to blaming the computer for problems, umm... I thought everyone did this. I do sometimes. My oldest son does it in spades, ROFLMAO! So does my youngest son come to think of it. Almost everyone I know blames it on the computer.
Hang in the bones, I think it is very kind of you to provide her with the computer and try as you have been doing. I'm certain to fight for mine.