title: User experiences of mobile controlled games for activation, rehabilitation and recreation of elderly and physically impaired.
abstract: The purpose of this paper was to study how aged people experience mobile controlled game as a method of rehabilitation and recreation. The target group contained persons 70+ years of age living in assisted living conditions (N=34). The average age of the participants was 85.9 years. Women (n=17) and men (n=17) were equally presented in the sample group. Only 12 % (n=4) of participants were involved in an active weekly-based rehabilitation, light physical sitting exercises 38% (n=13). Three (n=3) of the participants (9%) used computers (net banking), and 20 (59%) used mobile phones on daily basis. Social activities and physical activation seem to be rather inadequate and traditional in assisted living organizations. The overall experiences of mobile controlled game described in this paper appeared to be a successful experiment also proving that the elderly are not as reluctant to use technical devices or playing virtual games as often thought. The game was reckoned very motivating, interesting, and entertaining both by the aged and the staff. Activation, rehabilitation and recreation in the elderly homes or assisted living organizations could benefit from utilization of new technology providing new ways and solutions that motivate the users and offer also possibilities for measuring and follow-up of the physical impacts. The future goals to improve the game were set according to the feedback given in this survey: a) wider variety of controlling modes for the game, b) developing various difficulty levels, c) developing the game to support different kinds of body movements, d) easily modified according to the individual user's exercising or rehabilitation needs as well as e) emphasizing the social aspects of the game by producing multiplayer versions.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Social Services and Health Care, Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, Pori, Finland. andrew.sirkka@samk.fi
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sirkka
authors.forename: Sari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Merilampi
authors.forename: Antti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koivisto
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leinonen
authors.forename: Mirka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leino
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D040421:Cell Phone; D034201:Computers, Handheld; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D005717:Games, Experimental; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D057173:Recreation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018910:Video Games