Slideshow picture frame or actual photo album?

I vote for an album with large captions underneath the pictures indication who the people are.

I like photo collages for the walls too. I use software to make one every year for the extended family with at least one photo of everyone. I have some special software but you can make basic collages online at Walgreens and the printing is inexpensive too. One 16x20 or poster size (24x36) takes relative little wall room, but gives your LO a nice display to immediately see when they wake and something to show and talk over with aids and visitors. My father had lots of collectibles and he enjoyed poster sized collages of his collections.

There are several motion activated slideshow boxes with a timer, so the show activates on motion and runs for a set amount of time. I have one of these loaded up for my mother with nature scenes and wildlife. She doesn't watch TV much anymore but will watch the "show" for a couple of hours at a time. I have two SD cards I use to store the images, load more/different photos and then swap the card.

Albums are good too, although don't make them too heavy. Several small albums are better than one large album. I would also recommend using photo copies and not originals. If your photos are digital, photo print services offer digital albums for reasonable prices too. You select the photos and the sort order, add labels, then print them.

Genealogy is a hobby of mine. As my mothers short term memory has declined while her long term memory remains, she sometimes has problems matching people who visit with people she remembers. I have printed Family Data Sheets (couple and their children) with photos of the younger and older adult which my mother fines useful. She likes to take a family sheet and tell us stories about everyone in the family, so it's been a good conversation starter too. I also have a printed tree on the wall of her room with all her descendants. I update the photos of the great-grandchildren every year and this holiday season she was able to call by name some great-grandchildren she hadn't seen in a several months.

I'd go for the album. I'd go for the album anyway even if I were choosing for myself, and I'm comparatively tech literate. You can't go wrong with an album: they don't need plugging in or recharging or set-up or reprogramming, they're nice things to have and hold, and if you struggle to remember how to use them you're probably also long past recognising the pictures. And you can easily add to them - you could leave some pages empty for cards, cuttings, and new photos.

Nice, clear labelling will help, too.

I wouldn't get your hopes up too much about this cutting back the phone calls.

Who recommended the tech photo album? Can you ask someone at assisted living how they feel about it? They may know if she would or wouldn’t be capable of using it. Maybe, do a small regular photo album for now. Just something simple. You can always do the other one later.

How about doing both? Aunt will be able to deal with the album more easily, but visitors (including you) can go through the slide show with her – a good conversation starter. Sometimes staff may be able to have a go too. How about giving her a corkboard so that some can be pinned up and changed over?