Seniors staying in the game

Last Update: 7/06 8:03 am

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WICHITA, Kansas – Video games are usually made for kids, but a new system is designed for senior citizens. It’s supposed to keep their minds sharp and prevent the onset of dementia and a Wichita retirement home is testing it out.

It’s the first computer game 90-year-old Pauline Snyder has ever played, but the questions are geared for her age group.

"Started out with Jimmy Stewart, and I know everything there is to know about Jimmy Stewart,” Snyder said.

She’s one of several ladies at Wichita Presbyterian Manor using the new Dakim Brain Fitness System, which asks questions of memory, math and trivia.

It’s a mental workout that’s not only fun, but supposed to help prevent dementia, which is characterized by memory loss and confusion. It’s exactly what the elderly often worry about most.

"I have a brother that died with it,” said 87-year-old Louise Casey. “I have a brother that's had five strokes and has got it now.”

"They say after the age of 80, there's a very high percentage of people who end up with some form of memory loss,” said Director of Therapy Denelle Dinkell.

But keeping the mind active, therapists say, makes all the difference. Several studies have shown that people who play games, read or work puzzles on a regular basis reduce their risk of dementia by up to 63 percent.

Marry Good, 89, plays the game almost daily and believes it is helping.

"I don't have as much trouble recalling the words I want to use,” she said.

Even though the video game is easy to use, the retirement home has had trouble getting more of its residents to try it. Many are intimidated by anything new and electronic. But it’s that kind of challenge doctors say the brain needs to stay healthy and alert.

The Dakim Brain Fitness System was originally designed for retirement homes, but is available to individuals. It costs $2,300 for the computer and another $20 per month to download new questions. To learn more click on Weblinks.

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