Xbox pilot brings gaming into care to help seniors
Gaming in retirement homes can be helpful and this workshop seems to have been a success.
Older people can benefit greatly from video games. It’s not just about escapism, but also about positive stimulation and other proven positive effects, for example on people suffering from dementia. In order to alleviate fears of contact and to present the advantages of gaming for seniors, an Xbox workshop was held in the St. Elisabeth-Stift in Berlin, where you could also lend a hand.
Seniors benefit from gaming and workshop shows how
That’s what it’s about: Video games are not only fun for young people, they can also serve therapeutic purposes. For example, they serve to prevent dementia, help to activate the residents, to remember the past days or to move. Games can also help with hand-eye coordination and concentration. One study confirmed, among other things, that the use of video games even helps caregivers:
more on the subject
Therapeutic video games are finally being financed by health insurance companies
Xbox workshop as a pilot project: A workshop has now been held in Berlin, which brought the world of video games closer to both the carers and residents. First, in a theory part, the rehabilitation scientist Katrin Schäfer reported on exactly how gaming can help older people in particular. Afterwards, first the caregivers and then the residents themselves were allowed to try out how the whole thing works in order to get a feeling for the possibilities.
Not only the Xbox Series S and a normal controller were used, but also a steering wheel, for example. But the Xbox Adaptive Controller in particular was also presented, because of course it works with significantly fewer barriers and can break down further hurdles. Then, among other things, Forza Horizon 5, Super Lucky’s Tale, Old Man’s Journey and the Microsoft Flight Simulator were played. You can see how fun and cool that was apparently in this video:
link to YouTube content
Here’s how it went: The results were probably quite positive: the video games not only stimulated all sorts of brain areas, but also triggered quite simple memories. The flight simulator brings vacation spots back to life, and Forza Horizon 5 brings back the feeling of driving.
But not only the seniors, but also the carers were very impressed by the hands-on session. Which is, of course, the first step in making the use of video games in retirement homes acceptable across the board. After all, the employees should play together with the residents and ultimately bring them closer to the medium. Similar to these two elderly people who hired a teacher for The Last of Us 2.
What do you think of the campaign and the workshop?
Reference-www.gamepro.de