FIL: Diminishing "hobby" skills. What can we do?

To change things up for him, what about a Senior Day Program,  maybe one for ALZ/Dementia clients a couple of days a week? Be sure they have a variety of clients with different levels so he would have someone to visit with and a wide variety of activities.  My mom attends one daily and it's been a blessing. 

On the computer, can you remove everything but Word?   Maybe take it to a shop and have them do it.

If he's been managing fine and suddenly isn't, I'd get him checked out for that reason alone. Could something has gone "ping" (in him, I mean, not in the computer).

And I agree - meanwhile take his computer offline. Is anyone else in the house using internet connection?

Next time you're physically there, can you have a look at the genealogical research he's been doing recently? If he's been plugging away at it but on closer examination it's all nonsense that might be another sign of a step down in his mental functioning - hope not, but I would think about it.

Is it possible to set up his email so that only authorized addresses get through?

We use a malware that does have an annual fee, but when it pops up and says that it blocked a viscous site, woowee it is worth the 30 bucks. We also don't get unknown emails, they get quarantined and we have to actually retrieve them. You can hide the folder so he can't accidentally open anything.

I think his behavior warrants a UTI test and a new assessment, this behavior is beyond mild.

As far as his memoir goes can he record the stories and history he wants to relay? Having a voice recording might even be better than written.
Is there a neighborhood teen that could come in and help him? This could be in the guise as FIL is "helping" the kid. Together they could write the stories. Or the neighborhood kid could say he is doing this for a school history project.
Have you thought about Adult Day Care for him and maybe even Mom? It would give them some socialization.
If Dad or Mom is a Veteran you might get some help (home health aid) for a few hours a few times a week..(Not sure how many hours per year the limit is but it would be worth checking out.)
If there is a local Senior Center near by maybe someone there can help him a few times a week with the computer.
And I have to ask...are both Mom and Dad living alone at home? It sounds like Dad's MCI is a bit more than mild and Mom may need more help (and if she also is having a decline they both will need more help sooner than later.)

Sometimes it takes a village to raise a senior.

I can relate, being 82 and on the laptop much of the day......I do not catch on to the tech stuff, so I just bypass certain things that baffle me..

Cuppla ideas: If he can walk, perhaps a daily or twice daily stroll would help..
"move a muscle, change a thought."

I also use easy crossword puzzle books....Still another fun thing is to buy coloring books with really nice scenes on them. I probably have 35 different colored pencils for this activity.

Watch more tv..I really enjoy the mystery shows and detective shows and hot rod/custom car programs and of course the auto auctions..

Grace + Peace,

Bob.

Can someone screen his email daily, before he gets up in the am? Perhaps you can all rotate this on a weekly basis?
Sorry, this doesn't sound like an easy thing to deal with :-(

Is he able to follow written instructions? For my mother, who has not been diagnosed with any form of dementia but is generally not tech savvy. I made a document on her desktop with detailed instructions as well as pictures to help her through her computer tasks. Such as, adding pictures to email or printing pictures. I, also, made myself an administrator account and her account as a user account. That way it can stop some of the crap from being installed. (It was really to stop my sisters from adding crap malware on my mom's computer.) Finally, I have remote access if there's anything that I need to do that way. Between all of that, it's pretty rare for me to have to help her now. You may have already done all of this. If not, I hope this helps.

My dad was very computer savvy. During his cognitive decline he experienced quite a bit of frustration and my sisters and I frequently struggled for solutions.

First off, add Digital Access Rights to your elder’s POA. This will allow you to manage online accounts, monitor internet use, change content that’s been posted, reset passwords, etc.

Dad, who never had a password that wasn’t at least 16 randomly generated characters, lost all sense of online privacy, personal and financial. He also became so suggestible that he was compelled to fill in every form that popped up on his screen. Delete all sensitive information and check what’s stored in the cloud.

For computer usability: SIMPLIFY.

You might try going back to older versions of the programs that he uses most. A current desktop publishing program is a nightmare of option menus and things to screw up. Maybe he’s got a retired computer in the closet that could run a bare bones word processor?

I totally understand your complaint about joining every email list. I checked dad’s email every morning to delete the junk (empty the trash after you do this, or you’ll catch hell for being nosy) and to unsubscribe him from any new lists. Make it easy to find the email from the grandkids and news from old friends.

Since my dad was an iPad devotee, his tendency to download free apps made his home screens impossible to navigate. Delete the garbage and purchase ad free versions of the most frequently used. There are parental control settings that allow you to review and approve any new app downloads.

Ideally, put all the apps on one screen. Chose ONE weather, dictionary, puzzle, bird guide, newspaper, map, etc. Multiples of similar apps create confusion and frustration.

My dad had an engineer’s need for organization and a passion for subfolders. Consequently, the more important something was, the more thoroughly he hid it from himself. If you lack the guts to tackle this sort of mess, create a few new folders with obvious names, and put them on the desktop. Also, learn how to search within your own device.

As far as internet browsing, there are content limiting programs available, though they’re all geared for children and teens. An elder focused net nanny would be useful.

When his Lewy body delusions kicked in, Dad went through a period of sending wildly inappropriate emails to strangers. Then he got really sneaky about it. Picture him sitting in the darkened bathroom with his iPad at 4 am, sending requests to “help” links or proposing marriage to strangers, enticing them with his net worth, and including his address so his prospective bride could pick him up.

The only reliable solution we found to that was changing the WiFi password and erasing it after any -supervised- connection. Or, just shut off the internet when rest of the household doesn’t need it. Call it a therapeutic lie, but there’s nothing to be gained by arguing. And complaining about faulty tech is part of the joy of computers.

Computers and internet access were integral to dad’s identity. He carried his iPad everywhere for years. He got agitated if it was lost, and wouldn’t go to bed unless it was on the nightstand. During his “I’m leaving” phase, the charger and cable were the first things he’d pack, and the things he most often accused me of stealing. (Buy extras, they’re cheap.)

Through much of his decline, it was great to see him light up when he found something interesting to share. Dad could always contribute something: cheap gas, the PBS schedule, or the weather for the grandkids’ game.

It was heartbreaking when he’d ask me to help correct his incomprehensible emails to imaginary recipients, and I felt terrible after disabling the dictation and voice commands. For all the computer trials of the past few years, we didn’t send his iPad with him to the memory care facility. He hasn’t asked for it, and they have free WiFi.

You're lucky he is happy with his computer. And there are programs to prevent his clicking everywhere - they're generally called "child-proofing" - start googling for programs to prevent children from going to the wrong sites.

No matter how good SIL is - she cannot catch everything, that's why I use Avast4Free but there are plenty of programs out there that catch suspicious websites. And don't give him a charge card.

I just googled Child Proof Software and plenty of programs came up:
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=child+proof+software+for+computers