Trying to decide for elderly person

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larry2506

Active SatelliteGuys Member
Original poster
Jan 22, 2009
22
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Pennsylvania
I'm trying to get my mom, who lives in VA, set up with satellite TV, and I'm leaning towards Dish since that's what I have in PA and I figured I could help answer any questions she had with the operation.

She only really needs the locals, and the Family package looks like a good deal (better channel selection than the "Welcome" package). DirectTV's offering is more expensive, and charges a fee for the second receiver, making their version of the Family package about $10 a month more expensive.

Plus I prefer the remote and guide for Dish; DirectTV's is more clunky and doesn't look like it would be that easy for an 83 year old techno-challenged person to navigate.

I'd like to hear any recommendations for or against Dish for an elderly person. I was told that the 24-month committment could be "worked with" in the event she moved into a nursing home ("worked with" might mean "pay up the balance of the agreement" of course).

Thanks for any thoughts.
 
If you have an option of basic cable TV I'd go with that. Techno-challenged people don't do well with remotes that operate both, receivers and TV's. If my wife was on her own the local Dish truck would have to stop by constantly.
 
bross said:
If you have an option of basic cable TV I'd go with that. Techno-challenged people don't do well with remotes that operate both, receivers and TV's. If my wife was on her own the local Dish truck would have to stop by constantly.
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I agree.

Ed
 
Education

I am sure that with the right education she should be able to turn on and off the tv and select channels using the remote. If you do get dish you can always create a favorites list for her so she doesn't get confused with the guides.

Even tech geeks take a little while to get used to a new system. I think if you give her a little time she will get used to it. The one thing that confuses people the most is turning off the tv, they often hit the big red power button instead of the little red tv button.

If the remote programs to the tv you can always set up the remote to be in "limited mode" so that she doesn't accidently change inputs or the tv channel the satellite receiver needs to play on. It really helps to make sure the remote programs to the tv.

Good luck
 
birdfinder said:
If you do get dish you can always create a favorites list for her so she doesn't get confused with the guides.
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or just lock all the channels she doesnt sub to then set the receiver to "hide locked". Then she can only see the channels she subs to and wont goof up by hitting a channel that is a PPV or blacked out
 
Get Dish for her. My 76 year old father-in-law was able to grasp the use and now loves his Direct. Even my mother-in-law who is also 76 with alzheimer's was able to operate the DVR.

You already having dish will make the helping her out much easier on both of you.
 
It needs to be either something incredibly simple, or identical to what you already have, since you will be first-line technical support.
 
Someone that old may have (or will have) need for closed captions. Dish is horrible in this regard, especially their HD channels. You may want to keep that mind unless she is lucky enough to have very good hearing in her advanced age.
 
I have a great great aunt had C-band for years and never had trouble with it and now has Dish and never has had trouble operating it and shes 85. Only problem she ever has is when my great great uncle ran over the Dish with the tractor and lost signal. I solved that problem and removed it from the pole in her yard and put it up on her utility building so it wouldnt happen again. :)
 
My 85-year-old grandma has had DISH for about 7 years and I believe she just manually enters the channel number on the remote for the channel she wants to see. She may use the "up and down" channel buttons some of the time -- I KNOW she does NOT use the guide. I showed her the guide several times when she first got DISH, created a favs list for her, and programmed the remote to operate the volume and power for the TV. However during subsequent visits, I would find the guide back on ALL CHANNELS or ALL SUBS and the TV manufacturer's remote sitting alongside the DISH remote (she's unnecessarily using 2 remotes). I gave up and she even said I'm just too old to learn this new electronic stuff.

Another poster suggested locking out undesired channels which is great idea versus a favorites list. I believe DISH offers "locals only" but you must pay an extra $5 or $6 a month to make up for not subbing to a regular package.
 
KAB said:
What does she have now....and why change it?
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She has OTA with a pair of Zenith digital converters I picked up for her. The problem is her distance from the 'mitters in Roanoke. She's at the end of the string for CBS; cometimes she gets the digital and sometimes she doesn't. And she gets an ABC analog station, but nothing via digital. I wanted to help her get something cheap, but reliable, without having to worry about leaves on the trees and the like, affecting her digital channels.

Also, I saw the info re: Dish locals only, but it looks like the locals and Welcome packs require a buy, rather than lease, of equipment.

Thanks for the replies.
 
Claude Greiner said:
Sign her up through Dishstore, you will get a rebate in addition I'll send her an EZ remote if necessary.

Ask for Claude when you call :)
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I'll keep that in mind. That site mentioned an additional receiver fee for the second set. Didn't see that on the Dish web site unless I wasn't looking hard enough. Also, didn't see anything about the Family package on Dishstore. Again, perhaps I missed it.
 
larry2506 said:
She has OTA with a pair of Zenith digital converters I picked up for her. The problem is her distance from the 'mitters in Roanoke. She's at the end of the string for CBS; cometimes she gets the digital and sometimes she doesn't. And she gets an ABC analog station, but nothing via digital. I wanted to help her get something cheap, but reliable, without having to worry about leaves on the trees and the like, affecting her digital channels.

Also, I saw the info re: Dish locals only, but it looks like the locals and Welcome packs require a buy, rather than lease, of equipment.

Thanks for the replies.
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If your MOM lives near Roanoke, Va. there are several dealers in that DMA that perform their own sales, installation and service. The yellow pages for Roanoke list ads for these LOCAL retailers. Would not reccommend a retailer out of the DMA to provide the special care that your relative may require. Regardless of how simple the remote control is designed or how the hardware is setup, having a local source to call that actually is familiar with your Mom's system will prove to be a benefit to her AND you.
 
get the EZ remote as Claude has suggested. I had nothing but problems with my 82 year old MIL until EZ remote. God bless the inventor of that. I was over there 2X or 3x a week for Dish now never for Dish. EZ for elderly only way to go.
 
EZ remote has bigger buttons and less buttons :)

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Never underestimate the ability of the elderly to figure things out if it is important. The main concern is that they can press the buttons.
 
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