Wii, Kinect and SimplyHome & Tech-savvy Seniors

Wii, Kinect and SimplyHome – Tech-savvy Seniors (via http://send2pressnewswire.com)

ASHEVILLE, N.C., Nov. 16 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — So, what do Microsoft’s new Xbox Kinect, Nintendo’s Wii and SimplyHome have in common? SimplyHome’s assistive technology is bringing its clients to the next level in independent living and underlying innuendos in Wii and Kinect may also have…

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A balancing act so watch it

Bianca Clare | 31st March 2012
www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au

A GROUP of Sunshine Coast seniors is set to spend more time in front of the television to see if it helps improve their co-ordination and balance.

University of Sunshine Coast PhD student and physiotherapist Vaughan Nicholson is examining whether the co-ordination and balance for people aged over 55 can be improved by playing Nintendo Wii Fit virtual games.

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The video game has different activities including yoga poses, push-ups, strength, balance and aerobic exercises. Mr Nicholson said laboratory testing of participants from Lend Lease's Hibiscus Bellflower Retirement Resort and Hibiscus Chancellor Park began last week. "The average age of the participants is early 70s," he said. "We are trying to determine if taking part in a Wii Fit balance program improves several clinical and laboratory-based measures of balance and mobility. "Those measures then have a relatively direct relationship to predicting falls."

The Wii Fit includes a balance board that records movements and gives feedback. Mr Nicholson said participants were required to complete three 30-minute sessions a week, over a six-week period, at their retirement villages. "They will have nine balance games to select from, including tightrope walking and ski slalom. "We'll also look at the enjoyment they gain by playing these games because one of the protocols is that they have to do the gaming with at least one other person." Mr Nicolson said his project would be the first to examine potential benefits of Wii Fit on healthy, independent older adults.

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Working to stop falls

LIZ MACINTYRE
06 Oct, 2011 12:00 AM

REDUCING the number of falls by the elderly in the home is about striking a balance between safety and independence, Mount Isa's inaugural Healthy Ageing Expo has been told.

The expo at the Mount Isa Civic Centre yesterday attracted a crowd of about 60 elderly, some with walkers and walking sticks, a few in wheelchairs and many able-bodied.

The expo, organised by Mount Isa Senior Safety (MISS) and funded by the Mount Isa City Council, was a falls prevention information day with 10 community organisations providing interactive stalls with everything from free blood pressure-testing to podiatry advice to a session on a Wii-fit (computer game) to gauge how good your balance is.

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There are more than 17,000 older Queenslanders each year having fall-related injuries, and MISS was keen to stress the benefits of healthy ageing as a preventive measure. Occupational therapist Susan Elliott, one of the organisers and a member partner of MISS said she was very excited by the numbers attending. "For our first expo, it was an excellent turnout and I received really good feedback from those who attended." A range of health professionals gave short addresses on preventing falls and living healthily.

Occupational therapist Jessica Donegan said most falls occured in the home - the bedroom, garden or living area - so the audience was given simple tips on how to make their homes safer. "Frail older people, people with a disability and carers may be eligible for subsidised home modifications," Ms Donegan said.

 Dementia adviser Jenn O'Neill said people with dementia were at greater risk of falling. "Dementia is most prevalent in the 85 and over age group," Ms O'Neill said. "In fact a third of the population over 85 have dementia." Among those with dementia, 75 to 80 per cent are likely to have a fall, and those who do suffer falls are more likely to be admitted to nursing homes. "Carers need to strike a balance between safety and independence," Ms O'Neill said. "It is important for people with disabilities to stay active."

Physiotherapist Andrea Leigh said physical activity could help manage and possibly prevent chronic conditions and she encouraged her audience to be more active. "It is never too late. "Think of movement as an opportunity, not an inconvenience." Ms Leigh said falls were the highest cause of hospitalisation for over 65 year olds. "Exercise improves balance and helps prevent falls and injury," she said and advised those who weren't currently exercising to see their GP first.

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San Jose State kinesiology student looks into benefits of Nintendo's Wii Fit

By Matt Wilson
mwilson@community-newspapers.com
Posted: 09/29/2011

A San Jose State graduate student is inviting older residents with free time and an appetite for exercise to come over and play some video games. Kinesiology student Ramonda Collins is asking people ages 60 to 80 to participate in a study to see if playing the Nintendo video game Wii Fit will improve their balance.

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Collins chose this research as part of her culminating master's thesis project. A high score in a video games, however, is not what Collins is after. Measurements for balance improvement is not taken from the game, but from the Berg Balance Scale, an industry standard balance measuring device. "The main goal is to see if they can improve their balance while on the Berg," Collins says. Some studies have already been done using the game, but the sample sizes were not large enough to be of conclusive interest, Collins says. "The goal for my study is [to] use a larger sample size and see if the Wii Fit does help improve balance over a two-month period," she says.

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Older Adults Prefer Traditional Therapy Techniques Over Interactive Video Games

Researchers from Finders University set out to determine if hospitalized older adults accepted interactive video games such as the Nintendo Wii Fit as a therapeutic tool. The results of their study were published in the October issue of BMC Geriatrics. Led by Kate Laver, MD, of the Department of Rehabilitation and Aged Care at Finders University, Adelaide, South Australia, the researchers used a discrete choice experiment (DCE) before and after exposure to the intervention to determine the therapy preference for 21 participants.
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A DCE was administered in interview-style format prior to and following several sessions of physiotherapy using the Wii Fit. Attributes of the DCE included mode of therapy, amount of therapy, cost of therapy program, and percentage of recovery made. The physiotherapist who prescribed the Wii Fit activities was on hand to supervise and support the patient during the therapy sessions. According to the study’s results, before therapy sessions the program participants were more concerned about therapy time, including avoiding programs that were too intensive, and the amount of recovery they would make. After the therapy program, however, researchers found that the participants were more concerned with the type of therapy performed, preferring traditional therapy programs instead of programs using the Wii Fit. The researchers concluded that the usefulness of Wii Fit and other interactive video games as a therapy tool for hospitalized older adults is limited by the small proportion of those who are able to use the device, as well by the participants’ preference for traditional forms of therapy. Source: BMC Geriatrics Click here for more

Retirement home provides rehabilitation resources

BY DYRINDA TYSON September 3, 2011 Click for more info

Seniors Wii bowl to keep fit

By: The Fresno Bee, Monday, Aug. 22, 2011 http://www.fresnobee.com

The Clovis Senior Center was one of more than 100 senior centers nationwide in the Wii Sports Resort competition, sponsored by Aetna Medicare.

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According to Aetna, one of the keys to staying healthy as we grow older is "not to fall." It's well known that falls and a broken hip among older people often leads to a steady decline.
Exercises that help with balance are important with every passing year as the body's muscle mass slowly diminishes.

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Nintendo Wii has big benefits for elderly

Nintendo Wii has big benefits for elderly, say experts
VIRTUAL HULA-HOOPING AND SKI-ING ARE GOOD FOR REINFORCING SENSE OF BALANCE
Published: 30/09/2010

HULA-hooping and ski-ing on a popular computer games console may save elderly people from falling over, scientists said yesterday.

Studies carried out by Aberdeen University and NHS Grampian showed the Nintendo Wii could improve their balance through a series of weekly exercises.

Dr Alison Jenkinson of Aberdeen University, who led the study, said: “The Wii is a lot of fun for older people.

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“If you ask them to lean from side to side 10 times in a row they get bored but if they’re ski-ing down a slope on the screen it makes it much more enjoyable. It has also been shown to improve balance.

“We did this wanting to boost people’s muscle strength, reduce their falls and stop them getting hurt and this gives us a lot of hope.”

Fifteen volunteers from Aberdeen who have fallen at least once in the last 12 months were recruited for the study and took part in 12 weekly sessions at the city’s Woodend Hospital.

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