Carol, your post is right on! My father-in-law can no longer understand that the news is not reality anymore. If there is murder, he would think the murderer is coming to him! (e.g., Virginia Tech killer who was killed.) When he watched animal planet, he thought the allegator is real in the living room! The caregiver has to pretend to put it out!! He thinks some subjects on TV are real for his "research". Now he does not have personal TV in his room in the home so that saves a lot of troubles. The thing is you cannot just choose the happy ones as you would never know. CNN gets very graphic and fast -even regular people are confused!! e.g., CNN would show something about the talker's status on the side, and sometimes it is the other news on the side bar... It is too confusing!
The best thing is to avoid it unless they can watch a nice DVD movie and listen to classical music from the cable tv radio channel.
Frankly, there is some issue about the media even for the public including kids!
Regards,
Nina
I agree, Nina. Sometimes TV is confusing enough for "the rest of us." The realness of the images and the horror of so many stories makes it totally inappropriate for a lot of people. Subjects change so fast. I'm grateful, now, for DVDs and other "safe" entertainment for people with dementia. Even the old TV shows from the past, like "I Love Lucy," are available. Dad didn't have that option.
Take care, Nina -
You're always on top of things.
Carol
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I can see where the news could confuse those with dementia, but I think we need to go one step further. Television can be the cause for night terrors, too. Recently, I had innocently watched Ghost Whisperer. That night, I had the most terrifying experience in a dream: out of the dark came a set of ethereal hands toward my face, touching it. Then "it" came at me as to kiss--or suffocate--me! In my dream, I began to scream at the top of my lungs...only, I was REALLY screaming loudly in fright. Of course, that tore my husband out of his sleep, thinking that something was terribly wrong. He woke me up; I told him what had happened in my dream. Upon thinking about it, I believe that this dream episode was brought on by the combination of watching the program earlier in the day AND taking Aricept, which produces in some people (unfortunately, me) very vivid dreaming. Sooo, with this is mind, dementia, with the addition of certain medications, can possibly be affected by ANY show. I think that caregivers need to understand that the reactions of their loved ones with dementia must be evaluated to see if something in their environment is causing the problem. Thank you, Carol, for your insight into this area!!! Great of you to pass on this information to others!
Wow, thanks for this, Leah. I know my dad had some of this - at least I was sure.
I'm passing this on in any way I can.
Blessings,
Carol