Can you restrict number of Freeview channels to make TV simple

sueorbell

Registered User
Mar 15, 2010
92
0
California, USA
Since my Mum with dementia changed to digital TV she finds it very hard to use the remote to get to BBC1, BBC2 etc (the old basic channels). She lives on her own, with daily care visitors in the mornings but gets all confused with the channels when she is on her own.

Does anyone know if it's possible to restrict the number of Freeview channels, or possibly knows of simple TV remotes or any other ideas to help with this problem. Thanks
 

PostTenebrasLux

Registered User
Mar 16, 2010
768
0
London & Oxford
If you go to C...y's (Indian food) you would find the most elementary remote control. (Not always easy to find). I believe you can select up to 6 channels. There are also some remotes that have buttons on both sides, so you could program the "easy" side for your mother and can use the "regular" side for your own needs.
Do let us know how you get on - I am sure it would help many on here!
Martina
 

Bristolbelle

Registered User
Aug 18, 2006
1,847
0
Bristol
Simple technology.....

This really is one of my babies and I get really angry at service providers who show no understanding of or desrtire to serve those whose money they take so freely. I have contacted several digital service providers about the complexities of the use of remotes and never yet had a helpful response. When I point out they are not prviding a service if they do not offer an alternative remote to some client groups they get quite curt. I urge evryone in this situation to contact you service provider and ask them for advice/a new remote. It's too late for my Mum now, but it would have made a difference a few months back.
 

elaine n

Registered User
Jun 1, 2010
4,565
0
west country uk
I have the same problem with Gary. If I leave him watching the tv and come back to him he's got it on 399 or something! I hadn't thought of trying to find a remote that was more simple but I'm on a mission now!! elaine
 

HomeAlone

Registered User
Jun 30, 2010
21
0
Since my Mum with dementia changed to digital TV she finds it very hard to use the remote to get to BBC1, BBC2 etc (the old basic channels). She lives on her own, with daily care visitors in the mornings but gets all confused with the channels when she is on her own.

Does anyone know if it's possible to restrict the number of Freeview channels, or possibly knows of simple TV remotes or any other ideas to help with this problem. Thanks
i think you can delete channels, your mum dosnt want, making it easier for her to acces, those she does want to view.....i had a similar problem, also to get text up easily ( subtitles ) maybe also, you could consider marking the buttons, and maybe making a diagram, for her..i found that worked ( when she didnt lose the diagram, or pick thepaint of i applied to the remote, lol:)..
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
If you do buy anything can I suggest that you either make sure you can return it if it doesn't work, or at least can use it yourself? In my experience, technological solutions for this sort of problem aren't all they are cracked up to be.
 

Onlyme

Registered User
Apr 5, 2010
4,992
0
UK
If you do buy anything can I suggest that you either make sure you can return it if it doesn't work, or at least can use it yourself? In my experience, technological solutions for this sort of problem aren't all they are cracked up to be.

I second that. We have a graveyard of massive chunky phones that MIL thought she might be able to use but couldn't.
 

Margaret W

Registered User
Apr 28, 2007
3,720
0
North Derbyshire
Oh dear. | am a noddy. We have one of these digital tvs in our kitchen. I have no dementia problems, but I have not a clue how to work it. I have no idea where to find out what is on all those other channels. I have no idea how to find BBC1. I just switch on and press buttons until I find a station that is watchable. I have no idea how to find a prgoramme I might want to watch. No idea at all. My husband gets exasperaed with me as he flicks easily between channels, but I don't have a clue. Can anybody help me?
 

sueorbell

Registered User
Mar 15, 2010
92
0
California, USA
Thank for replies

Having read all you have advised I have found a SONY DR01 "TV only" remote on the RNIB (National Institute for the Blind) website. Hopefully as it's purchased from the society itself they won't be recommending a lemon! It doesn't solve the problem of how many channels Mum gets through Freeview, I will do battle with them separately. However it may make it easier for my sister and I to coach her to get the channel she wants. Not an easy thing for us to do because I live in the USA, and my sister in France.
Incidentally a solution to food shopping has been for me to order on line at Sainsbury's from USA and they deliver it to Mum's third floor, no elevator, flat and the caregivers unpack for her to eat. Not perfect but certainly better than what carers could have achieved a generation ago. Thank goodness for the internet.
Once again thanks for the replies it is good to know there are folks out there willing to help.
 

pmuzz

Registered User
Sep 14, 2009
4
0
suffolk
Hi

You should be able to delete channels that you don't want. Have a look in the instruction booklet, or try 'set-up'.You should also be able to re-order channels into an order you want. i.e. instead of bbc3 being on channel 11, or whatever it is, it can be positioned to channel 6. It's a long-winded way of doing things but might help and saves expense of buying other remotes.
 

Clive

Registered User
Nov 7, 2004
716
0
I agree with everything that pmuzz posted. You can reduce the channels back to the 5 or so that we had before digital came… or those you want.

It is probable easier to get a teenager to sort it out. They seem to be able to do these things with their eyes closed.

Clive

PS.

When we had to do the digital changeover I bought a PVR rather than a digi box. This allows me to either record the programmes or… better still… I can PAUSE the programme when the phone rings, and catch up later.

I do wish I had had such a gadget when mum went through her ringing every 5 minutes stage.
 

HomeAlone

Registered User
Jun 30, 2010
21
0
Hi

You should be able to delete channels that you don't want. Have a look in the instruction booklet, or try 'set-up'.You should also be able to re-order channels into an order you want. i.e. instead of bbc3 being on channel 11, or whatever it is, it can be positioned to channel 6. It's a long-winded way of doing things but might help and saves expense of buying other remotes.

thats how i did it...i went into setup, and deleted channels not wanted by mum, makes life simpler,
 

CraigC

Registered User
Mar 21, 2003
6,633
0
London
A few freeview boxes allow you to just set up a list of favourites?
We just have 10 channels instead of 99 - works wonders for the relationship too ;)

Worth checking but sure most boxes will have similar facility.
Craig
 

elaine n

Registered User
Jun 1, 2010
4,565
0
west country uk
oo can't do any of that stuff! will just have to help gary scroll to the channel he needs i think! i'm a complete technophobe which wasn't a problem when he could do all this stuff!
 

FifiMo

Registered User
Feb 10, 2010
4,703
0
Wiltshire
There is a member (Mreadman) on here who was interested in developing products which could benefit dementia sufferers and I PMed him a while back with the suggestion of a remote control with programmable buttons but with the whole remote having minimal buttons overall (say 6) to cover all functions and that they could be large too for easy use. I explained to him that my mother had largely forgotten how to use the remote control and because she lives on her own we often find that she has had no tv for days cos it has moved to some channel she doesn't recognise.

He thought this should be simple enough to do and went off to consider whether it was something he could help out with. Might be worth pming him to ask if he has any suggestions etc???

Fiona