My grandpa is getting old and afraid that he will not be able to take care of grandma for much longer. He is a Colonel and she has been around and shot guns a lot when she was younger.
She had problems racking slides at the gun store and they ended up with a beretta bobcat 22 where the barrel opens up and you drop a cartridge in so that you do not need to rack the slide.
I however do not want her to be relying on a 22 rim fire low capacity pocket pistol. I was thinking maybe a charter arms 32 mag would be better and can even be loaded with 32 sw long instead of 32 hr mags if the recoil is too much. Even a 22 mag snubbie would be better in my opinion since 22 mag self defense ammo is getting pretty nice if the rim fire (or 32) doesn't go boom she just squeezes until it does.
What do y'all think? Any other suggestions for my grandma? I love the woman so much. 

Have a look at the CZ-83.  It's a .380, much easier to operate and fire than a PPK.  My wife has tiny, sensitive hands, and loves hers (hates the PPK).  It's the only pistol she'll shoot regularly.  It's D/A and S/A, meaning, it has a single action trigger, but will fire double action if the hammer is down and chambered.  Very smooth and relatively light D/A trigger.  Short and crisp S/A trigger.  If the slide is a bit hard to pull, just cock the hammer first.  Easy slide from there.  It's fully ambidextrous and doesn't have a magazine disconnect.  It's all steel, so a little heavy for its class, but it really helps to tame the recoil.  I enjoy shooting it as much as any of my "big guns", but don't tell anyone....

I really like the Ruger SP-101, or, if she isn't going to carry even a GP-100.  Step up to 38 special in performance, the sp-101 is small enough to carry, yet heavy enough that recoil is very manageable.  GP-100 is even heavier if it is a bedroom or kitchen drawer gun.

In small auto's I have heard good things about the Sig P238.  No reason you can't go to a lighter recoil spring in about any auto.  Just shoot a couple hundred rounds after the change to one light enough for her to manipulate to ensure reliable function.  The frame may take a little abuse, but I doubt she will be putting 500 rounds a month through the gun.

I would suggest a nice 38 Special revolver of which there are many with a wide range of performance ammo to chose from. 

The Bobcat 21 can shoot the 22lr HIGH VELOCITYand penetrate.I have a Beretta .25 from 80's flip top loader,would have to be up close and personal.Throat,face.But the 22lr would penetrate much better.

I agree with getting a Revolver for PD / HD use
You can't beat them for reliability
A .38 sp or a .327 Fed Mag would be a good PD / HD Handgun
I bought the SP101 in .327 for my Wife
The GP100, 7 Shot would control Recoil even nicer