Dad cannot operate TV remote control by himself. Any advice?

TO SUM IT UP FOR MY POST:

ANTENNA - it's easy & cheap, if you get a good reception, and most major channels have high definition! TV to program channels and timer on/off.

BOOKS ON TAPE. from library

Our TV has a timer on it for on /off. We don't have cable or satellite. We have ANTENNA. It works, we get basic tv which we really only have time for. It's Free once you buy the antenna. We do have internet for which we rent Netflix for a few dollars a month. Look into TV sets if they have a program installed to change channels at certain times. Then set timer to turn on or off at a certain time. Books on Tape may be a good thing for him too. Those are fun to listen to. You can check them out at your local library, for around $1.00 a week. Not bad.

Sunnygirl, we received a letter from Charter Cable the other day that talked about how everything was going digital now. There were apparently some people with basic service who didn't have boxes. Charter wrote that everyone was going to have to have a box now. My mother had to have to box already because she likes Game Show Network. That only came in a package that had to have a box, from what she said.

JessieBelle, Sorry you have to deal with that. My cousin does not encounter that problem, because she does not have a remote box with her tv. The AL provides free cable for about 40 channels. It is plenty to keep her entertained, so we don't think she needs the box. Perhaps you can contact the company and see if they have any suggestions.

Sunnygirl, it sounds like the same remote that I bought for my mother. It's wonderful. The only problem we ever have with it is she often turns it off without pointing the right way. This makes the TV go off, but not the cable box, so they are out of sync. I have to get them back in sync quite often. I wish she would remember to point the remote at the system, but she forgets to do that.

I love the day of cable-ready TV when we didn't have to worry about these digital boxes. Getting HR is not worth the trouble it causes with old folks and remotes.

My cousin had a difficult time with her remote, but I found a GREAT, BASIC, SIMPLE, remote that does the job. I found it on amazon. I'm not sure if we are allowed to post links or brand names here, but PM me if you want it.

The remote I got her only has On/Off, Mute, Vol up/down, channel up/down. The letters are large and it's a life send. She is so happy she can operate it.

The handyman at the AL helped me program it. It took a little while, but with not too much trouble. He told me that every resident there needed one like it. It's the best $19.99 I have ever spent.

We have cable (Charter) and I think they have the same pre-program function that Walt mentioned. Or what if you take HarpCat's suggestion one step further? When you make the copy enlarge it as much as the copier will allow. That will give you more room to write not just what the button says but how to use it. Maybe? Just a thought.

I bought the easiest remote the had from WalMart, one with large numbers. I put red finger nail polish on the power button, the channel selector, and volume button. I told my mother only press those buttons, nothing else. Seems to work okay for now.

The above mentioned device is not compatible with cable boxes or satellite tv. Looks good, with just on /of and volume and channels up and down one at a time. Good if you only have a few channels .
We have friends who made a cardboard device to fit over the many unnecessary buttons to cut down on confusion. The whole thing is taped over the existing remote.

Pre-programming makes a lot of sense! I used to try to keep the news away from Dad because it upset him. Good advice.
Carol

I have this problem with my mother who has advanced macular degeneration and can no longer operate a TV remote. What solved the problem was getting Dish satellite TV service. Dish has a function that allows you to pre-program TV shows by frequency (once, M-F, weekly, etc.) and the best part is that I'm able to setup that the shows change channels automatically at the time the particular program starts. Pretty neat. So, for example, if the news is on at say 9am and I've programmed a movie for her that starts on TCM at 10am, at 9:59am, the TV will automatically change to TCM and the movie starts a minute later on its own.

Its been a great timesaver for me and she's happy. The only thing is setting up the pre-programming in advance, but she has lots of favorites like game shows and old TV westerns she likes to watch so I just pre-program those to automatically play M-F and its al set from that point.

There is a website with a super simple tv remote that I am going to order for my dad. He is moving to assisted living monday and will have basic canle in his room so I will also make a list of the TV channels for him mainly local news programs. Its called Tek Pal TV remote on vitalhomestore

My dad moved to my city and therefore a new cable company with a remote that had tons of buttons and they were even small by my standards. We had many phone calls over this. Finally with enough repetition he got it where he can use it now. You've at least gotten a remote that's simple. Now here's an idea. Lay the remote on a copier machine and make a copy of it. After the copy is printed take a marker and label the main buttons for him. Next place it in clear folder or laminate it so it doesn't get crumpled, dirty etc. have it near where he watches the TV in plain sight. When he calls you, have a copy of his remote by your phone so you can help him. I made my dad go through the steps several times in a row with me to help it become more permanent in his memory. Hope that helps.

I did everything possible to find the simplest remote for my dad but nothing really worked. I'd love to hear if anyone has a solution.

As far as a "good home" goes - dad received excellent care but there couldn't be an aide there every minute. He could use his call button but he wouldn't do that to change his TV channel - he wanted to do that himself. They always adjusted things for him when they came in which was often, but he still wanted that control. Unfortunately, I never found a very good solution.

Keep us posted, please!
Carol

If he is living in a "good home", why isn't there someone there to help him? Shouldn't he be checked on often?