Games for a better life : effects of playing wii games on the well-being of seniors in a long-term care facility

• Main Authors: Lee, Kwan Min, Jung, Younbo, Li, Koay Jing, Ng, Janissa Sihui, Wong, Gladys Li Chieh
• Other Authors: Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Communication::Audience research; DRNTU::Social sciences::Mass media::Alternative media; DRNTU::Engineering::Computer science and engineering::Computer applications::Social and behavioral sciences
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/101524; http://hdl.handle.net/10220/18214
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

In the current study, we examined the impact of playing Nintendo Wii games on the psychological and physical well-being of seniors in a long-term care facility. A six week-long intervention was held in SASCO Senior Citizens’ Home, a long-term care facility in Singapore. Forty five residents aged between 56 and 92 years old participated in the longitudinal field experiment. Results showed that playing Wii games had a positive impact on the overall well-being of the elderly, compared to a control group that played traditional board games. Implications for future applications of Wii in interventions for the elderly are discussed.