Bingo – a simple game of chance – can significantly improve seniors’ quality of life. It is one of the few recreational activities that generate human contact and social interaction. It’s a game that never ceases to attract fans because of the opportunities it offers to develop social relationships. The benefits of this form of lottery are so far-reaching that it is said to reduce the chances of death by 40%! Here’s an overview of the benefits of bingo for seniors.
Benefits of board games like bingo
While the gambling craze is generally decried by researchers, bingo is an exception to the rule.
Compared with other board games for the elderly, bingo requires considerable concentration to make connections between the numbers drawn and the numbers printed on the card. The brain is called upon even more when a player uses several cards.
Research conducted by the Department of Psychology at the University of Southampton has revealed that this activity trains the brain to retain data more effectively. The researchers compared the performance of groups of seniors who played bingo with those who did not. They observed that, despite their advanced age, playing bingo enabled them to remain cognitively more alert.
Other specialists see the conviviality of bingo as a highly effective means of combating loneliness and depression (which in the 21st century are considered the scourges of old age).
This game has unique social virtues, according to a study conducted by the American Medical Association. For seniors, the game involves all aspects of the human being: physical, psychological and mental health.
– Older people increase their physical speed and mental agility.
– Players come into contact with a wide range of people and make new acquaintances. They’re able to chat in a friendly atmosphere with their table’s neighbors.
– Seniors develop a sense of belonging and attachment to bingo communities. This activity fosters self-realization, enabling them to assert themselves more fully.
– This game is designed to support the autonomy of the elderly.
How do games for seniors in retirement homes support their independence?
Bingo, along with other games for seniors in retirement homes, is recognized as an individual act offering opportunities for meaningful bonding with other members of the community. This social participation has many benefits for the individual. This supports the autonomy of seniors.
Sense of belonging and attachment
Social participation environments, such as bingo halls, are ideal places to develop a sense of belonging and build a zone of exchange and trust. In these organized groups, where board games for the elderly are developed, communication between members helps to unite them. The multiplication of exchanges and benevolent behaviors between group members has a multitude of impacts on the well-being of these individuals.
In general, people don’t talk much to each other. It’s not easy to break the ice. In bingo groups, within just a few months, players feel comfortable communicating with each other: this results in a lot of fraternization, and consequently, a tight-knit group.
Social participation in a bingo group is seen by retirees as a real springboard for expanding their social network and developing their social skills.
Learning and stimulation
For the elderly, playing bingo extends far beyond breaking out of their isolation. They find this activity a source of learning and stimulation. Human contact with other players nourishes them. In many circumstances, this meets unsuspected hidden needs. Through these enriching experiences, they dare to take risks in order to take action, and to grow by taking their place in their social environment.
As each individual is unique, all encounters with others are a learning experience, if we can free ourselves from prejudices and inhibitions. In this sense, playing bingo is an enriching social participation in terms of otherness.
This provides opportunities to sharpen skills and knowledge. Elders gain in self-confidence and feel more at ease expressing themselves in public. They experiment with different ways of looking at existence. They fine-tune their socio-political analysis.
Health and well-being
The more socially involved older people are, the more this alleviates potential health problems. That’s why bingo is known to have beneficial side effects on players’ health.
Through this game, seniors not only win attractive material prizes in this form of lottery, but also increase their vitality. They’re the perfect antidote to aging! In their veins and in every atom of their being, they feel life pulsating. They realize that health, that hectic form of vitality and youth, still inhabits them…
In conclusion
A passion for bingo is a way of delaying the aging process. At Manoir Gouin in Montreal, we proudly include bingo among our games for seniors in retirement homes, because we know that playing bingo helps them stay active, enjoy life and, ultimately, possibly require fewer medical services.
