Television & Recovery: 

How The C.A.R.E. Channel® Can Help

Going to the doctor, being in the hospital, or living in a long-term care facility can produce high levels of stress and anxiety. Stress can slow your healing, make your body more likely to get an infection, and make your pain feel worse.

Commercial television, which is broadcast in many waiting areas and patient and resident rooms, is not intended to reduce stress or anxiety. It is intended for those who want to be excited by violence, provoked by fictional conflict, or drawn into controversies. Too often, the images and stories about the events of the day are disturbing and frightening, and may not be the best “entertainment” for those coping with illness or old age.

While you are best involved in life being active, during the times when you are resting, or have anxiety, or during the long night hours when your sleep may be disturbed, The C.A.R.E. Channel offers a welcome alternative to commercial television. Commercial free and without interruption, this environmental programming has been produced specifically for you and your family.

The nature images and music on The C.A.R.E. Channel can help reduce stress and anxiety. The music was composed and produced especially for this purpose. During the day, it provides nature scenes, and at night, it shows stars in the sky to help you sleep.

Guided Imagery Options

Some hospitals also offer C.A.R.E. with Guided Imagery. The way this works is that at the beginning of every hour, 10 to 15 minutes of guided relaxation are presented. You can close your eyes and let the words create images in your mind. Or, watch the images on screen as you listen to the words. This process of using your imagination to actively relax has been well researched and is now being used in hospitals across the country to improve the quality of patient recovery.

The research has shown that guided imagery may help increase your feeling of comfort and decrease your stress and anxiety. It may also reduce your need for pain medicine, so it could reduce your side effects and result in you spending less time recovering.