Is it normal for my 88-year-old mother with dementia to lose interest in watching TV?

It's possible that she no longer can follow what's happening on whatever show she's watching because she can't remember what she just saw, so it doesn't hold her interest or it confuses her. Maybe her hearing has decreased, or she had a TIA and now has a problem processing language, or perhaps her vision has gotten worse and she can't really see what she's looking at. It could be a lot of things.

My very elderly aunt with advanced dementia went through a phase like this, couldn't even watch kid's cartoons...language and plots too tough for her to process or retain. It would actually agitate her. But then one time we put in a Disney animated movie and accidentally had the closed captions on and now she is once again happy to watch but she is actually reading the captions aloud to herself, even reads the closing credits. I don't think she's getting the plot at all but the reading is a purposeful activity for her. My aunt is 100 yrs old and watches 2 to 3 DVDs every day, reading all the while, and the same rotation of movies (since she has no short-term memory).

Is her tv big enough to see it well from her bed? What did she used to watch? Make sure it isn't something "dark" or violent...an animal show or Disney channel or Nickelodeon might be better choices. Have your brother turn on the closed captions on your mother's tv and see if that makes a difference.

As my mother's dementia advanced, first she stopped reading books, then magazines, and then finally, she stopped watching television. She just couldn't comprehend what was being said or what was going on with a TV program anymore. But what she COULD comprehend was love & kindness from me and from her caregivers, and other people who tended to her needs. That she was very appreciative of. We switched on a music channel for her on her TV set and she did get enjoyment from listening to music.

In spite of what TChamp keeps droning on and ON about here on the forum, elders with dementia DO have some quality of life left when loved ones visit them, when they get special treats to eat, when they get to see photos (or visits from) of their grand and great grandchildren, and when they get gifts or tokens of love & affection from those that love and appreciate them. LOVE prevails and overrides disease! Even people who are in a COMA are able to HEAR and know when loved ones are nearby holding their hands & speaking with them. While we ALL KNOW that dementia is a terrible and 'incurable' disease, we ALSO know that our loved ones are still THERE inside their bodies, and that WE are there FOR THEM, too! We're not writing them off or tossing them aside like garbage b/c they are suffering from dementia! They are still worthy of all the same love and attention we'd show anyone else we respect and love in our lives! They're family members, for petesake! I visited my mother with advanced dementia at least weekly and more during the last months of her life, and I know that she appreciated those visits, and so did I, as hard as they were. I'm glad I visited her and I'm glad I did all that I did for her, and would do it all again in a heartbeat.

When we come to forum with questions & concerns, we are looking for empathy and suggestions for help......a way to get through to our loved ones who are difficult or who suffer from dementia and seem 'impossible' to deal with. We are not here to hear that our loved ones are 'hopeless' or that they're 'incurable' or that there's 'nothing we can do for them at all.' That's B.S., pure and simple. If we wanted to write them off, we'd have done that long ago and wouldn't be on a forum seeking advice!

I agree that it may be too much for her to follow. There are special videos for people with dementia that we had for my father- babies doing things, quickly changing and funny, animals -cute and doing funny things, basic fish tank video-hard to resist. Also, music from her era may reach a different part of her brain.

Many cable providers have "Music" channels.
Find a genre of music she likes and play that for her.
Or often a particular artist can be played continuously.
My Husband had problems with lots of shows. For example:
The setting was dark on a lot of shows.
Music in the background over powered the spoken word.
Background noise often did the same.
Story lines were fast and he lost the ability to keep track of what was going on.

My mother couldn't follow the storylines on TV shows after her dementia progressed. That's likely what's going on, plus she might not know how to operate the remote.

My mother watches TV 📺 all day with her eyes closed

I also saw this with my mother, who had advanced dementia. First she lost interest in reading, watching films, then TV. People with dementia lose their short term memory. Imagine if you started watching a film and couldn't remember the beginning by the time you got to the end. My mother enjoyed listening to music. I got her a radio, but staff had to turn it on and off for her. We kept it on the channel that plays music that she likes. For a time, she enjoyed small stuffed toys. She liked certain blankets, with colorful patterns. All the best to you and your mother.

Lov2teach, regarding TV shows, I know for myself, the newer shows the younger actors tend to talk too fast plus mumble, it's like trying to following what Ozzie Osborn is trying to say. I found using the "closed caption" helpful but one has to speed read to keep up.

Our cable company recently updated their TV Guide, and there are now many more steps involved when trying to find something good to watch. New and improved... NOT.

My father loved TV but didn't watch it for the last 3 years of his life.

My Mom was never a big TV watcher. Never had it on during the day and only watched a few shows at night. She was an avid reader though. She lost that ability with Dementia.

TV is boring. I do not like any if the virtual reality shows or 60 min type things. What I do is stream some of the old shows. There is also a channel called MeTV. Has shows from the 60s/70s. I would put this in for Mom and seemed to hold her interest.