Satellite television
beams its way into Village Green
Thursday June 5, 2003 Roderick Benns
SELBY ON—Bob Barker is looking silver these days.
The women who show off the prizes on The Price is Right are still young,
a new generation supporting the venerable game show host. But
the residents at Village Green don’t seem to mind the tweaked
look of an old-time favourite as they settle in to watch the giant-screen
TV in the main common area. Their eyes are glued to the spinning wheel
and the prospect of a quick fortune to be made.
Given that television plays a big role in the life of
a resident in a long-term care home, Geoffrey Fearn believes the experience
should
be as exciting as possible. That’s why, in concert with the home,
he helped bring satellite television to the residents.
Geoffrey pays the monthly satellite bill for Village Green. Residents
can go to the common room and watch their favourite shows. Previously,
the home only pulled in channels their aerial would pick up.
Geoffrey’s mother, Charlotte, lives at Village Green. “They
(residents) really don’t have a lot to do in their life,” he
says, as he pats his dog, Mitsy, who is a frequent visitor to Village
Green.
“So if they’re going to watch TV, they might as well have
as much choice as possible and get all the networks,” says Geoffrey.
“Many people here like TV Ontario. They like Bonanza and The
Beverly Hillbillies,” he says.
“These shows are 30 years old and the characters are fixed in
their minds” from when they would watch them at home, notes
Geoffrey.
Residents appreciate the clarity of the satellite signal, says Geoffrey,
and being able to access the older shows on networks they could not
previously access.
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