Great Childrens Program on tomorrow
- Thread starter Doodles87
- Start date
Grandpa's Great Escape
21 Nov 2020 - 7:55pm - 9:00pm
CBBC Freeview 204
SUMMARY
Many years ago, Grandpa was a World War II flying ace, but sadly he is now suffering from Alzheimer's disease. When his family can no longer look after him, he is moved to Twilight Towers, an old people's home. It soon becomes clear that Miss Dandy is running Twilight Towers for her own ulterior motives, and it is up to Grandpa and grandson Jack to make a daring escape. Failure could have the direst of consequences, but success will give Grandpa a final chance to relive his past and take to the sky once again in his beloved Spitfire.
21 Nov 2020 - 7:55pm - 9:00pm
CBBC Freeview 204
SUMMARY
Many years ago, Grandpa was a World War II flying ace, but sadly he is now suffering from Alzheimer's disease. When his family can no longer look after him, he is moved to Twilight Towers, an old people's home. It soon becomes clear that Miss Dandy is running Twilight Towers for her own ulterior motives, and it is up to Grandpa and grandson Jack to make a daring escape. Failure could have the direst of consequences, but success will give Grandpa a final chance to relive his past and take to the sky once again in his beloved Spitfire.
My daughter thinks she can fit it in over the next two weeks in class as it addresses ww2 which is part of the curriculum and we have an ongoing discussion about introducing dementia/Alzheimer’s into conversations rather than hiding them. Very difficult as I for one just want to hide it but I realise that as a society we need to talk about it
I watched this the first time it was shown on TV and it's entertaining but bear in mind it could give children the impression that care homes are 'bad places'. Grandpa was sent to the home as an alternative to going to prison and it shows the residents being 'drugged up', with the staff moving their arms with string to make it seem that they were enjoying themselves at a party, and there are searchlights in the grounds to stop the residents from escaping. The sign outside the home reads 'Twilight Towers - looking after your unwanted old people since 1975' 
I must admit I haven’t watched it but I was quite taken aback by the negative messages in the ‘blurb’ - the place was run by an ‘evil matron’. As a former primary headteacher I’m not sure I would have been comfortable with the book being used in my school.
maybe it could be used in secondary schools as a topic of debate in citizenship lessons. my son is a teacher at a secondary school so they could make their own minds up and even work experience maybe benefit from it
I haven't read the book but surely this is absolutely the wrong mesage to be giving about care homes!
We all know that a care home is often the very best place for PWDs, particularly in the later stages and many of us can testify to the kindness of the carers. To imply it's an evil place where they drug the residents and that Grandpa would be fine if only he could escape is completely irresponsible. I'm also very unhappy about the CH's line about 'looking after your unwanted people'. It's hard enough having to move someone to a care home - we do not need the added guilt of people thinking we've done so because the person was 'unwanted'.
We all know that a care home is often the very best place for PWDs, particularly in the later stages and many of us can testify to the kindness of the carers. To imply it's an evil place where they drug the residents and that Grandpa would be fine if only he could escape is completely irresponsible. I'm also very unhappy about the CH's line about 'looking after your unwanted people'. It's hard enough having to move someone to a care home - we do not need the added guilt of people thinking we've done so because the person was 'unwanted'.
i think we seem to be still in the dark ages that care homes mean institutions like the old asylums that used to shut " different and mad" people in and stayed locked up for decades
I’ve watched it and although it was entertaining it certainly didn’t treat dementia in a realistic way...anymore than “The Demon Headmaster” realistically portrays school life @Izzy ...or that episode of Doctor Who which had the teachers sleeping upside down in the staff room at night! ??
It’s pure fantasy and should be treated as such.
It’s pure fantasy and should be treated as such.
thats why i think they should be discussions about these things. children dont always have the experience to know whether something is seen in a good or bad light and how much language prejudices thinking
