How to deal with a TV addict?

For a break, send the T.V. out for repairs.

I know the difficulty of pulling someone's attention away from their addiction.
It is okay to watch t.v. a lot, but to neglect self care and getting out is not healthy, and may mean a more rapid decline.

Find something that motivates him more than the T.V.

Order your dad Bose Bluetooth headset. You want to buy a nice headset with good quality. Please do not waste your money on a low quality headset!
Let your dad be happy watching the news and political shows.

Bler11: Turn the tv volume down yourself when you're there; tell him that it's giving you a mgraine. Something seems amiss with your father listening to news and political commentary shows on TV "24th" - if you indeed mean 24 hours, then something must be amended as perchance no one is receiving restorative sleep.

Look up TV Ears. He can turn it up as loud as he wants in his ears. You can turn volume off in the room so others don't have to listen to it.

Oh... I (waste a lot of time) watching way too much TV, including MSNBC / news, vet/animal shows, too. I try though to switch it out with the music channel now and then. In any case, your situation is very different.

* Have you tried to have a 'sit down' talk with your dad, with no TV on? Telling him you have something important to talk to him about that requires his undivided attention? How would / did he respond?

* A heart-to-heart talk with him alone, over coffee. Perhaps go out for coffee or lunch or something to get him away from the tv. (I doubt 'trying to talk to him' while it is on won't work. He is irritated that you are interrupting his 'tv time.' If you go out, that distraction is gone.)

* If the above hasn't / doesn't work, what about having a family intervention since you say your brothers are there in the building (I presume in different homes).
Do your brothers feel the same way you do?

Lastly, it sounds like you might be doing 'too much' although it is wonderful that you enjoy being with / around you mom. I don't know if how often you visit is in ratio to how often the 24/7 tv on bothers you. I would think it bothers you 'all the time' whenever you visit. Of course, you 'shouldn't' have to lessen your visits due to the irritation of the tv (or the quality of your visits w your mom).

Until or unless you dad decides he can do something else, it sounds like he won't change. If it is as simple as getting earphones, great. I sense he might be very lonely (losing his wife as he is) and sad / grieving and doesn't know how - so he distracts himself with the tv. If you do / are able to have a talk with him, perhaps very compassionately bring these things up in conversation and see how that goes. I imagine he is very sad / grieving / doesn't know how to process his feelings.

* It sounds like this is his numbing out retreat and/or way he deals with his feelings.

* I presume when you say 'the lady' that you mean the caregiver - ?
- It sounds like you are not direct (enough) at times 'hinting.' He clearly doesn't take hints.

* If I were you, I would either or both:
(a) shut his door (hoping there is a door.
(b) Move your mom to an area of the house where it is quieter.
(c) In other words, it sounds like your dad is 'stuck' psychologically as he is unwilling to give / be considerate of others. He 'needs-wants' 24/7 distraction from his life. He may not be able to process his feelings so shifts to focus on TV (which numbs out or is a way to avoid feeling(s).

* This is 'more' than just tv watching. It seems to be how he survives.

Let us know how it goes.

Gena / Touch Matters

A "Wireless Speaker for TV" that I ordered on Amazon worked wonders for my mother. By setting the easy, small, radio-like device on the table right next to her recliner, she could hear the tv fine, and the whole house didn't have to be blaring with the volume. She used this in her 90's, with no problem as it was very simple with only one dial to turn it up or down.

If you do get him tested, and he needs hearing aids, don't plan on him wearing them. My hubby didn't.

I had to live for 3 months witih my daughter and her family which included her Mother-in-Law. She slept iin the front room and watched Law and Order series 24/7. I just learned to treat it as background noise and was gratefull it didn't contain canned laughter. I understand how you feel because I would have had to get a motel if she did. I cannot stand it. My daughter wears some kind of ear buds and listens to her music when she is not working.

Remember, you can only change yourself, you cannot change anyone else.

i feel you on this topic. I don’t respond to my dads questions unless he turns the tv down while we’re talking. It works because he wants whatever he’s asking for … but the volume goes back to loud when the conversation is over.

You don’t say what model of tv you have but a sound bar helps a a lot with the flat screen tv. I got rid of dads old style TVs because I wanted to connect a Bluetooth headset. He didn’t like wearing the over ear or in ear headphones. I tried a sound bar and it works perfectly. Most new TVs direct sounds from the sides and back of the units. High ceilings create a huge echo sound chamber with this. A sound bar directs the tv sound directly to the viewer. His tv is about half the volume it used to be, which is tolerable.