My Mom is always watching the news and it adds to her depression and bad attitude. Does anyone else have this issue?

Is your mom on any antidepressant or antianxiety meds?

Consider switching to a different channel?

My dad loves Fox News. It really upsets him, though. My mom and I have warned him about it, but he's having trouble giving it up. However, he's so disgusted with the Presidential candidates, that he vows, he's not voting this time. lol We'll see. I think that the more we see of election stuff, the more likely he may stop it.

I bought him some adult coloring books, since he used to be very good at painting and drawing when he was younger. I hope it works.

Sometimes it can be as simple as her not knowing how to change the channels on the remote.

Does she like animals? Switch to Animal Planet, especially the shows with cute little puppies and kittens.

Does she like cooking? Try a cooking channel, especially if you can find one with an attractive male that might pique her interest to watch the show again.

Drama? Mystery? Try PBS Masterpiece Theatre when it runs Miss Marple

Get Netflix . It's only $9 a month and they have lots of oldies.

Mom's obsessed with CNN. It's like she enjoys being upset!
I change the channel, but somehow she gets it back to CNN.
She needs to have something to fret about.

Anything to do with the presidential election depresses me and I am Canadian.
I've got a horrible feeling that Donald Trump could actually win. Since I can't vote I'm begging all you Americans please don't let that happen. You think its depressing now, can you imagine how depressing the news would be if he won.

Oh Gersh, thanks for the chuckle! It's like a soap opera.

Yes, Yoga girl, a very bad soap opera!!

A scary, tragic comedy, with awards going to most bizarre off-script rants!

A SNL skit!

Yogagirl, just tell Mom that what she was watching on CNN were re-runs from ten years ago; that nothing bad s happening now; and that you could no longer afford the up-to-date version of CNN.

Have you tried NEWSY? A whole other reality, with animals, inaccurate reporting- like a different reality.

Or get the news from another country-the BBC, RUSSIA- another take on U.S. life is helpful !

Any news, even fairly objective news with high journalistic standards, can be very depressing. Watching channels that emphasize the negative and don't even know that there are standards for journalism is masochistic. I suspect we agree on that, momscaregiver1.

The real issue is how to divert Mom's attention. Could she possibly go to an adult day program one or two days a week? Does she belong to a religious community that might have something she could do on a regular basis -- maybe folding programs, or polishing metal vases, etc.? Does the local senior center have an activity she might like? Could you bring her twice a week for the book discussions, or bunco or some other game? In other words, can you find something for her to do regularly OUTSIDE the house? Totally away from televisions?

Others have suggested some good alternatives on television, and some other in-house activities that don't involve television at all.

I think the hard part is getting her to go along with these distractions/diversions. I think it is worth the effort!

Good luck to you.

Exactly Yoda, a SNL skit on politics would be perfect for your Mom to watch he News on SNL, coverage of the don's campaign might upset her?

The doctors write Rx: no tv news-watching allowed if you are depressed.
Go outside.

Gershun, I don't know if we will ever have a wall on the Mexican border, but I think Canada should be looking into a wall on their border, to keep the immigration of US citizens into Canada an orderly process, if one of most horrific candidates somehow gets elected.

my mom listens to rush everyday and her sole news is fox.
I just want to cry with some of the crazy stuff she comes up with

Canada-a sanctuary country!

No worries Canada, because Germany has already invited U.S. citizens fleeing to other countries.

Jeanne, instead of an orderly process of immigration into Canada by buildinv a wall, why not keep them out? (I get to say this as a U.S. citizen.)
BTW, did you hear Gershun-we are adopting you into our family, ok?

The real issue is, how do we get to Canada?

I've been a political junkie for decades and this is the worst election year mud-slinging that I have ever witnessed. What are these candidates, 12 year olds?

Get Mom to watch the BUZZR channel which has the old game shows like "What's My Line"... "To Tell the Truth"... "Lets Make a Deal" with Monty Hall... "Super Password"... etc.

If Donald wins I'll personally stand at the border and greet you all as you run over here. Did you hear we have a cute Prime Minister here now? Very liberal.

Thank-you Send for the adoption idea.........but I think I'll stay here and you all can come visit. :)

Mom's caregiver, a constant problem, try reading the articles on distracting your loved one right here on AC.
No one, especially me, meant to hijack your question with humor and silliness.
We just couldn't help ourself.

If t.v. really depresses your loved one you can go to the channel that runs old comedy shows. Mind you watching the Don is kind of like watching a comedy. A very black comedy.

Gersh, really want to visit the sea wall-cause my husband remembers going there.
Sounds so beautiful!

Yes, Mom's caregiver forgive me for the silliness.

Vancouver is beautiful Send! The seawall at Stanley Park in particular.

They have more than one sea wall?

Hide the remote.

This is the real advice, right here:
Put a child-filter, or child-block on the t.v., and block out the news. If you have cable, call thd cable-guy.

The politics seemed to be a final topic that held my parents interest toward the end of their lives. My mom would get worked up about the Democrats vs. Republicans. Her perspective was she was born into a Depression and was going to die in a Depression. Then she would say she was all through, didn't have a care in the world, and we kids were going to have to figure it out because her worries were past. I used to get annoyed until I realized the horrible political garbage did at least keep the old folks thinking. So I sort of went along for as much as I could tolerate. Then I would leave the area for a little while.

If I were in a really evil mood (haven't got a devil icon but I could do with one) I would recommend playing DVDs of The Day Today - a satire from the nineties, but so cleverly done that the unwary might be fooled into thinking it actually was the news. Briefly, anyway. Even back then the police were not really clamping rough sleepers, and John Major did not really punch the Queen.

Oh God it's just come back to me - there was also a report on a plan in Arizona (I'm surprised Arizona didn't sue) to preserve and animate the corpses of murder victims so that they could robotically take part in the execution of their murderers.

It wasn't necessarily in the best possible taste.

Speaking of which, I gather Mr Trump has been endorsed by Ms Palin? Well isn't that nice. He must be very pleased.

Spend a couple of days watching with her.....except you drive the channels.
The Price is Rght and Lets Make a deal are still running. There is even a Game Show Network, or try the Animal Channel, or National Geographic channel.
The Golden Girls is always on reruns and TNT has great old movies.

There are plenty of choices, the news watching is a habit she has fallen into.