Games for Care and Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia

Alzheimer's games in all flavors

Games for people with Alzheimer's can be low-tech, high-tech, or anything in between. Every geriatric care facility in the world probably has a Bingo game – and that's about as low tech as you can get – yet Bingo has been shown to have positive effects when played by Alzheimer's and other dementia patients.

Bingo has other advantages as a game for dementia patients. It comes not only the familiar "B-6, N-23" version, but in a number of alternatives that are stimulating on different levels and for different abilities. Players can identify anything from animals to items of food, to body parts. This allows for the game to be played, in one version or another, by patients at different stages of the disease, and to stimulate memories, thought process, or other cognitive abilities.

And it's not just a game for large groups. Games for Alzheimer's should be played for stimulation, not for competition, and can be enjoyed by a group of two or three. Or even one (with a caregiver). Whenever possible, have children play with the older adults. Both age groups enjoy this.

At the other extreme...

a computer based game called Smartbrain was shown to improve cognition in Alzheimer's patients in an adult day care facility in Spain. It seems that even the diseased brain retains the ability to make new neurological connections, the physical correlate of learning. Since a computer game can be programmed to work on the needs and at the level of the person playing it, it is this technology that holds the most promise in this field.

Like everything computer, electronic games will not totally replace more conventional ones, but should be considered as an important addition to the patients activity program whenever possible.

Selecting a game

Games for dementia patients should work on several levels. A board game with a colorful playing surface and objects that can be handled (cards, dice, etc.) is better than a game that does not contain these features; the more sensory stimulation the better. Many games involve a physical component, like the one Bernice is playing at the top of this page. Exercise is another component to consider in selecting a game.

And be sure to allow the patient to have a say in the selection process. Perhaps a game that she played with her children when they were growing up holds a special attraction. That will serve to stimulate memory.

For Bernice

The Qwirkle^TM game was chosen for Bernice partly because the wooden tiles are an easy size for her to handle, and because she loves colors and shapes.

Qwirkle^TM is an ideal game for people with Alzheimer's disease. It requires that the patient distinguish and match colors and shapes, so it is beneficial at a cognitive level. The colors and shapes, set against the black background of the tiles are visually stimulating. Manipulating the pieces is exercise for the hands and arms, and when played with someone else it is a social activity.

Qwirkle^TM is played like dominoes. Instead of matching dots to dots, players match either shapes or colors. People in early and middle stages of Alzheimer's could play the game by its rules. Bernice is probably approaching the later stage, and was told that she could arrange the tiles in any way she wanted.

Because of her love of design, she would match some by color and others by shape, like the game rules. She really concentrated on her design, working on it for over 30 minutes. She was obviously quite pleased with herself and her final product. Except for a few tiles, they are matched either by shape or by color. These are not mistakes. Remember, all activities are "no-fail."

Given how well she did matching colors and shapes on her own, we might try to get up a game at her facility one of these days soon.

Qwirkle™

Bernice loves this game, and so does Holly. It can be played in many ways and by people at different stages of Alzheimer's. People in early stages can play by the rules, as a game of strategy. Later it can be used for color and pattern matching.

In Brief

One study shows that playing Bingo specifically provides mental stimulation that is highly theraputic. Patients participating in the study performed significantly better on measures of cognition. Staff members reported increases in alertness and in awareness for hours after testing.

Reported in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, a computer activity called Smartbrain, improved cognition in a group of elderly people diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Smartbrain provides stimulation to facilities like attention and memory.

The researchers found that, when used in addition to the facilities regular program, the game "greatly augmented the traditional psychomotor stimulation, because when both treatments were used together efficacy was extended to 24 weeks."