Posted 7 days ago

Sky Sports for a pal in a care home.

Hi all, got an elderly friend in a care home, old boy doesn't have many needs or wants but loves his Formula 1, all he's got is a freeview telly in his room, what's the best way I can get him sky sports, doesnt have internet access and he can't cope with anything complicated or with too many buttons.

Any options, would love to treat him.

TIA

New Comment

31 Comments

sorted by

21st Feb
Can't offer much of a suggestion but is that standard care home practice not to provide wifi? that seems unreasonable and out of touch with the world.
Author
22nd Feb
I'll double check, it's a dementia place so I'm not sure.
22nd Feb
You also have the cost of Now TV which is extremely expensive, I guess it all depends how much he/you is prepared to shell out monthly. There is a 6 month sky sports offer for £26 a month(offer ends tomorrow) or £11.99 a day for 24hrs access.

Can he not watch the highlights on Channel 4 of each race later in the evening? (edited)
22nd Feb
''Can he not watch the highlights on Channel 4 of each race later in the evening?''

Come on snoop, let's not just dust the old fella away like that.
23rd Feb
When my mum was in a care home I had a BT line put in to her room. At the time it was just for phone calls and she could not use a mobile because of her disability.

Anyway, as others have said, check first with the care home but if he can have a phone line in his room then he may have better options?
23rd Feb
NowTV with a DATA sim plan if he can't get a sky dish installed. I've just been offered the F1 offer of £19.99 a month, cancel any time but price valid for 12 months so it will give the full F1 season. (edited)
Author
4 h, 25 m ago
Hi guys, just an update and thanks for all the input, the care home have wifi which they're happy for me to set up, but it doesn't reach his room so I'm gonna get a cheap android tablet which he can use in the lounge, I need to be able to put parental controls on and lock him to sky sports only, I'm also gfonna install team viewer so I can hopefully take control if need be remotely and maybe even transfer films videos etc over for him.

Any recommendations at all would be appreciated, Amazon have some cheap 10" for around £60, now tv doing an offer of £21 per month for 12 months.
42 m ago
NowTv at £21 for 12 months seems like the best bet I think (it’s what they have offered me). I think it’s luck of the draw, some people seem to get a lower offer. You can cancel after 9 months if he just wants it for the F1.
21st Feb
If it doesn't have to be live you could download a load of stuff onto a memory stick (off YouTube say) and do it that way.

This also opens up a lot of nostalgia opportunities for him, you could download old races or films he likes etc.

Doesn't just have to be what's on now.
Author
22nd Feb
Yeah that's very true, be great if there was a way to transfer stuff to him remotely.
21st Feb
Give him access to your sky go account & buy him a tablet with an unlimited data sim
Author
21st Feb
Unfortunately I don't have Sky. (edited)
Author
21st Feb
Thanks for the replies, if I go down the route of some internet access, can it be connected to his bigger screen tv, need to keep this as simple stupid as possible because he WILL screw it up and I'll end up spending more time there resetting things.
21st Feb
Well, whatever you get him he is going to have to have broadband.

So you need to know:
Is his TV a smart TV? Most are today.
Does his care home have wifi for their residents? as suggested
Can he get a 3 Mobile 5G signal (because he might be able to get 5G Broadband)

Then you can work out how to get Sky Sports which is likely to be via Now TV.
22nd Feb
First q is how much are you willing to spend? TV eats data usage and with no broadband you are going to need a very hefty mobile contract
Author
22nd Feb
I don't mind TBH, I can get an unlimited sim for 15 - 20 per month, just want summat bulletproof that he can't screw up by jabbing at buttons, he has form