My mother-in-law’s in a nursing home. Can I use an over-the-air antenna so she can get local channels in case cable goes out?

I setmy dad up with a Roku so he can get many channels. He loves it! Lol

Froggytlc: Ask the NH if it's acceptable.

Every time I used the antenna for mom in MC, if mom messed it up, they would put the cable back in. I don't think it's possible to have both, so it will be one or the other. I ended up leaving instructions on a dry erase board for the facility. If you or anyone here have issues with them ordering movies on cable, create a parental block on the TV so they can't order. It's crazy how many times they fall asleep and reorder the same movies and fall asleep again, etc.

I use a regular Walmart antenna {indoor one}
at my moms memory Care..their cable is horrible.. no one cares!

I installed Over the Air Antenna. Very simple to do. The cable service for the Nursing Home is terrible at best. She may not get some channels but at least the ones she gets are clear and viewable. I asked her if she wants to switch to cable but she says no. It’s very easy to switch. Just unscrew cable from antenna and screw it into cable port.

Mom had an inside antenna and received very few stations. Not sure if a facility would allow an outside. Then its changing from cable to an antenna. can MIL do this.

Sure. This is what we did for my FIL. Of course his dementia is fairly substantial so we also had to: replace remote with one that only has channel and volume and power, and set the TV (which is a smart tV and way too complicated for him) to come on where it was last left.

We hid the real remote, and now he can’t change it off TV mode or see the complex menus.

For the channels had to buy an antenna from Amazon.

Does cable often go out there?

If not, setting up an over-the-air antenna would be the least of my worries. You will have enough to do just with visiting and taking her things she wants and needs.

sure, as long as there is reasonable signal there in the room. actually it may be easier to just get a few over the air channels for some seniors to watch, they can just scroll through those few channels.
With cable, with the remotes, and complex channel menu, it can be very hard for them to understand how to navigate it (and remember). Unless they are still cognitively in good shape, and/or have a particular cable channel they prefer to watch.