I placed my mom in a small AL 3 weeks ago. She acclimated well and she seems happy. I visited her all weekend and for a few hours each time. There are a few tv rooms where the residents watch tv together. Yesterday after lunch the shows that were on were Dr. Phil and then Judge Judy. I find those shows really disturbing just for myself and feel they are inappropriate for Dementia patients. I think the aides there had them on for their own enjoyment. I emailed the manager of the AL to ask her about this. What does anyone else think?
They seem to respond better to shows that don't have involved complicated plots and characters .. especially if someone watches with them. More appropriate tv viewing for me are some older sitcoms like golden girls, andy Griffith..etc. Also they seem to enjoy cooking shows on the food network or shows about animals on National Geographic, game shows, ...etc. There are lots of better options.
Once I came in on movie night and they were starting up 'Philadelphia'.. the movie with Tom Hanks where he dies of Aids.. yea... how appropriate.
I just wonder the tv viewing thing.. is that they just have never actually lived with a person with dementia .. and they dont realize what they enjoy ....it is much different then what the staff might enjoy.. or me.
When the cat is away the mice will play. I saw it all the time. Would see an aide sitting in a chair in the hall using her phone. Yes, they have breaks but this is in the residents area where friends and family visit. The aides have a break room.
Chances are, the people who watch the shows you mentioned think they’re funny. 90% of the time, the guests on “Dr. Phil” are outrageous and I’ve wondered how genuine they are. We Seniors have seen a lot in our lives and don’t take things nearly as seriously as younger people do. And, simply because one is staring at the tube doesn’t mean they’re following the show. And, to be honest,,there isn’t much on television these days. Home shows are all the same and infomercials are really annoying.
Unless Mom is saying that these shows are upsetting her, let it go. Be glad she is mingling with the other residents and not sitting in her room. I can assure you that the staff at your mom’s facility doesn’t have time to watch tv and they have no real interest in what’s on. Also, just a suggestion; pick your battles. Mom has not been there long. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. You want that impression of you to be a good one.
Otherwise she just seems mesmerized by the animation. It is like these are the only people she has contact with.
There was one day that someone had tuned in to the Cartoon channel and it was really messed up. One show was mostly about farting,including the Alien with two butts. Neither one of us caught on.
She will watch whatever I may have on my TV or the computer and be a good girl. Well most of the time anyway.
Speaking purely for myself, the key thing would be having the option of no t.v. at all.
I must say my mother rather took to Judge Judy; but then again I also once found her tuned in to "8 out of 10 Cats," which she'd been lured to by its highly misleading title, and she seemed to be enjoying it in spite of its inappropriate content.
Perhaps it's freedom of choice you want to concentrate on, rather than the quality of scheduling per se. Does anyone else - resident or relative - find this a problem?