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They feel it is better for him to get out of his room and be with others there but he does not want to except for meals and snacks. His own tv would make him so happy which is all I want. I will do anything to help him. Should I have one moved there and set up with service? I need advice on this please. He loves his sports and old westerns.Thank you, Oldstew

You do not change the wall flower (I am one) to the social butterfly.
Get him his television and tell them to stop deciding what social interaction is best for him.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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ElizabethAR37 Sep 1, 2025
Strong affirmative here!
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Yes! Give the TV a try. It's one of the few comforts he has left.
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Reply to azsundog
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Definitely get him a TV for his room! As he goes out for meals and snacks in time he may make friends and spend more time out of his room. And maybe not and that's OK. Let him have what makes him happy.
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My step-mother was in MC she had a TV the entire time, it was good for her, at the end it was her peace and solice.
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Reply to MeDolly
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Yes, get him the TV! The rooms should all be set up already with basic cable, as they were in my mother's Memory Care Assisted Living facility.
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JoAnn29 Aug 26, 2025
My Moms wasn't. Some people had dish set up.
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My mother is in a SNF and is not a social butterfly at all, she stays in her room with the TV and has her meals delivered. Her choice!
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Reply to GSDlover2
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Absolutely--get him a TV. I don't care to watch TV with a 'group' as it were, hard enough with just my DH!

My mom had a tiny apartment and had 3 TVs in it. They were on all day long. It made visiting her a challenge but she was happy and that's all that mattered.
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My dad was only in a hospice facility memory care for a few days. He would have preferred a TV in his own room like he had at home, and my mom wanted that too, but they strongly discouraged it. The Reason had nothing to do with encouraging socialization. He could not turn the TV or anything else on and off or change the channels himself, plus he needed 24/7 monitoring because he could not understand that his legs were no longer strong enough to stand so he was constantly trying to get up and then falling. They did not have enough staff for someone dedicated to sitting by his side in his room 24/7. My mom considered hiring people to do it but in the end did not. (He did not have that at home either but she would start the DVDs for him.)

He did not understand the call button. They put his air mattress all the way on the ground to prevent falls. During the day they had him propped up in a padded wheelchair / lounge bed thing and they would barricade that with furniture so he could not get out when they turned their backs to help someone else. At home he had watched the same few movies over and over but in the facility he happily watched whatever was on the screen. They had one room where it was musicals on the TV, another that had a nature channel (which he liked) and another that showed old movies. I thought it was a good compromise.

It’s really going to vary depending on your husband, his abilities, and the place. Good luck!
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Gero101 Sep 1, 2025
Personally, I would have looked for a different facility that considered the needs of each resident, no matter how big or small a priority. If they were understaffed, there lies you problem.
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I understand what the AL is saying but your Dad does not seem to be a social person and thats OK. Some of our elders, even with hearing aides, don't hear well and trying to have conversations with people is hard. Get him his TV. My Mom had a small one.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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He is in an adjustment period...only two weeks in a facility after a lifetime in his own home. Get him the TV. They are not expensive and would make him happy. When he is more comfortable, he may choose to socialize or not.
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