Nursing home uses innovative and fun games to keep their residents engaged and active

It is often challenging for senior citizens to adjust to living in a nursing home. As they continue to receive medical attention all around the clock, many find it exhausting to pass the time. In order to tackle this challenge and make their living more comfortable, a nursing home has invested in several games to keep all its residents engaged. A video from the nursing homes doing rounds on the internet was posted on Reddit by u/CommercialBox4175 with the caption, "Staff At Nursing Home Invents Games to Keep Residents Engaged."

The video shows several clips of these innovative games, including air hockey with books, juggling, mini-golf, catapult, basketball and many other games adapted to the comforts and mobility of the people living there. There is one thing common in all of the clips and that is the excitement and happiness on the faces of the elderly. Reddit users absolutely loved this adorable video and it already has over 91k upvotes.

A Reddit user u/bbpr120 said, "My wife worked in a Nursing home that had a happy hour. The resident (or their family) had to supply the liquor and their Doctor had to approve it (some meds don't play nice with alcohol) but the residents got a shot or a beer a night just after dinner." Another person u/Linkage006 wrote, "When I get old the nursing home is just going to be filled with old console games on huge screens and gigantic controllers." 

Reddit user u/jtrick18 said, "That is the best occupational therapy I have ever seen. Works on dexterity, hand-eye coordination, and looks fun." A Neuropsychologist, u/Papancasudani joined in the conversation saying, "The value of these creative games they're doing is beyond estimation. It's engaging them physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally. That's how you keep brains healthy at any age, and even more so in elderly years." They added, "Decades ago we used to think of aging as a natural state of decline and decay. But it was discovered there's more going on than we realized. When elderly people are put in situations where they can engage themselves, they thrive." 

Another person u/Sol-Blackguy shared a similar experience, "Reminds me of the senior home that's next to a daycare center. The kids come over and hang out with the elderly and do activities together." Reddit user u/Axle_65 also shared their experience by writing, "I really wish this enthusiasm in nursing homes was more widespread. Before my Nana passed the nurses in her home would let her sit in her room in silence in her own piss and wouldn’t even think to help to turn her TV on or get her a book." They added, "My mom would arrive and she’d just be sitting there looking so sad. Hard to believe this wasn’t even the cheapest home in our area." Assisted living and nursing homes often neglect the very care they are supposed to give their residents. However, witnessing these beautiful games makes one believe that engagement and happiness come from little things, which can prove to be life-saving at one point.