new technologies in nursing homes

Activities for seniors: brain games for seniors & new technologies in nursing homes

Last October, DYNSEO organised a survey dealing with activities in Nursing homes. (Example: senior citizens activities). Our aim was to settle down what were the main trends and habits among new technologies’ utilization in Nursing and Care homes (by seniors and caregivers).
We would like to thank the psychologists, caregivers, directors, that have answered to our questions.
We have received more than 650 answers.

Have you ever tried new technologies in your Nursing home?

We can assert that 50% of Nursing homes have already tried new technologies. (Example: Senior brain apps).

What kind of technologies (example: Alzheimer apps) are used in Nursing homes?

 

They are mainly touchpads (example: use of brain games for adults) internet, karaokes, Snoezelen rooms and the Wii.

Some of those web features have been designed with seniors’ collaboration: email and skype delivery system, digital photos cameras, viewing resident’s hometowns via google earth, photograph’s blogs tracking, softwares to visit tourist resorts online, such as Versailles’ castle, etc.

Thanks to this survey, new activities in nursing homes have been suggested and some of them must be kept in mind: 3D printers, adapted vehicles, musical bollards, Montessori’s method, Multi sensorial trolleys, “golfettes” (small cars to move around more easily), flotation bed, and the “Physiopparc”.

What are the most popular technologies’ features? (Used during activities for seniors)

Here are new technologies which are usually popular:

• • Web search: Press, Wikipedia, google earth, additional details, Alzheimer games apps with their answers (or memory care apps, great life enrichment Tools).

• • Large screen projection of lottery, senior games for the brain and karaoke.

• • Tablets due to their touch screens (especially when residents play senior brain teasers).

• • Writing email to grandchildren (and Skype).

• • Luminotherapy.

• • Music therapy, and everything dealing with music.

• Games consoles and adapted alzheimer apps, games for the brain,senior bain apps, etc.
• Intergenerational activities for nursing homes using those new Tools.

In terms of feelings and experience, new technologies have brought new opportunities to seniors. Animators can note:

• • Interactive technologies. example: Fun brain games

• • The residents’ curiosity, attracted by innovation, competitive spirit and a great ambiance.

• • Great interaction between residents and caregivers. Example: activities in nursing homes

• • Valorisation of seniors who manage to use those new technologies; individual supervision is allowed and encouraged.

• Seniors are appeased and accept more healthcare easily thanks to those Alzheimer games apps.

Moreover, the last new technologies workshop has been successful, especially when the animator presented it as a “new techniques discovery” rather than a computer course.

Life enrichment activities weaknesses

Here are a few negative points dealing with new technologies utilisation in Nursing homes:

• • It is difficult to handle the computer mouse (one of the main complaints).

• • Seniors have difficulties to handle properly the joystick (too many boutons). They also have difficulties understanding how the joystick’s movement is projected on the television screen.

• • Lack of seniors unsolicited demands (request for Nursing home senior activities).

• • The solutions do not fit disabled seniors (Example: Games for  the brain, brain teasers)

• • Those generations are not fond of virtual relationships. Seniors often have difficulties to use Skype.

• • Those solutions do not fit death or visual handicapped people. (Example: games for the brain, brain teasers)

• • Seniors’lack of self-sufficiency. In fact, they often need to work in pair to use those apps (caregiver or family). The mouse cursor is hard to see and the keypad keys are too close.

• • Adapted tools exist but it remains too expensive according to their animation budget.

• • Difficulty to use the internet for individual researches.

• • Difficulty to understand the new technologies’ language. (memory care apps, Alzheimer games apps).

• • Technical difficulties dealing with Internet.

• Difficult to understand how do Alzheimer games apps work.

Activities improvement in Nursing homes

Here are some aspects – characteristics that we would like to see:

• • Easier to use, adapted to disabled people, especially for memory care apps. Example: Alzheimer apps.

• • A redefined design (often to much information on a same page), a loud sound, a simplified keyboard, bigger keypads, lisible and big typeface).

• • More alzheimer games apps adapted to eldelry people: non-childish games, and easy to understand.

• • Act against frustration: Alzheimer apps often overturn seniors who can be rapidly discouraged (when they can’t achieve success).

• • Offline solutions in order to organize individual workshops in distant living spaces.

• • A mutli-player mode: Seniors could play games for the brain with their friends!

• • It should be a pleasure to train our memory! That’s why we design playful and intuitive applications.

• • Simplify technical words & presentation vocabulary.

• • Great Equipment and affordable prices

• Forming partnerships to introduce to residents how do tablets work.

Here are a few reasons why some residents have never tried new technologies in Nursing homes (Example: Brain games, brain teasers)

• • The products are not adapted enough to seniors’ and nursing homes’ needs.

• • Our solutions require a lot of personal investment, and animators are not always well prepared to personal empowerment.

• • Animators often lack of time and motivation to organise Nursing home activities or Nursing homes SUMMER OLYMPIADS.

• • Financial difficulties.

• • Rural environment.