What TV shows are appropriate in assisted living?

Scanning back through my memories of what various elders liked... it would be incredibly difficult to keep everybody happy all of the time. Wildlife documentaries are great until the foolish wildebeest gets caught or the orcas gang up on the mummy and baby grey whale; one great aunt was a world expert on snooker but only because she liked good-looking young men in evening dress 😳; and what happens if you've got a couple of golf enthusiasts in residence and the Open is on? All day. Every day. For weeks...

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?

I used to play the nature music channel for my mom, you know, the kind of stuff where there is gentle music accompanying bird songs, waves, rain etc. Since mom couldn't see it didn't matter to me that those were strictly audio channels but I often wished there was something with accompanying video to play for the people in the nursing home, even if only for an hour a day.

For years, I have been hoping for a TV channel that would simply show time-lapse footage of interesting things to watch – perhaps 4 hours squashed coverage for 24 hours real time. I reckon it would be great for aged care facilities, and for thousands of waiting rooms. The footage could be a tourist promotion – the grand canyon, kangaroos and crocodiles etc etc – with limited advertising. Our own lambs playing would be great, animals in zoos, dog breeds – the options are endless. It needs a country with spare channel space, and a bit of imagination. Can any of our members make it happen? I got upset by my intelligent MIL sitting there watching children’s morning TV crap, thinking there must be something better. I have tried suggesting this to the local national TV mob, but I don't think that they have any personal experience with age care facilities!

DW is in rehab, each room has its own TV. Mostly the same as at home. Except it does not have TFC, which she watches all day and night. Some of the shows are very violent and I think some of it rubs off on her. I have heard her yell at the show. Some of the other shows on TFC are children's talent show. She really seems to enjoy them. We need some of those here.
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.

TV in Moms AL was only used in the Common area if it was a movie. I did catch one one time was l little inappropriate. Brought it to the activities director and she agreed. A little two much sex for people who have Dementia.

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.

Mom's nursing home was tuned into the movie network 90% of the time although hardly anyone had the ability or interest to watch an entire movie (and often the volume was too low for most to hear), I often commented that they may as well have faced everyone toward a blank wall rather than a screen. Trashy daytime programs are popular because there is no plot to follow so people can pick them up or drop out mid show. Musicals are generally popular, sports, playing some of the cable music channels would have been nice, classic sit coms too. We also had dozens (hundreds?) of tapes and dvd's that were almost never played. My preference would have been that at least the main TV set was included under the umbrella of daily activities and that a staff member had a schedule to follow rather than just anyone turning them on and forgetting them.

My mom’s SNF plays musicals, most of the Residents enjoy them. If they can’t follow the plot, they enjoy the singing and dancing. My mom was a huge Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune watcher, but doesn’t watch them, can’t follow them anymore. She still enjoys watching baseball games. When I was working as a CNA one of my Residents had a collection of VHS tapes of old movies that he watched in his room. Another liked watching TCM channel in his room. In the common area Lawrence Welk was played often.

My husband watches tv all day. Mostly “shoot-em-up” Westerns from the 60’s. It’s fake as heck but still violent. At night, he insists on watching “Walker, Texas Ranger”. Every sort of violent act imaginable is part of this show, including regular beating and torture of women. Once I didn’t understand something on this show and asked my husband about it. He had no idea what was going on, including the plot. He doesn’t have dementia. I don’t know why he can’t folllow a tv show. He was just staring at the television.

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.

I have also complained to the administrator before about the tv shows at my parent's memory care as well. My complaint was a little different from yours as often times I see them showing some very involved movies. My mom is one of the higher function residents and there is no way she can follow a movie..it is just noise to her.

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.