So, What’s the Deal With Bingo?
It’s a scene you’re bound to observe in any assisted living facility: a large activity-room filled with hunched bodies, chit-chatting and eager to hear the announcement for the next letter-number combo. Seniors love Bingo. In fact, it seems pretty cliché. Yet, the idea that Bingo is universally loved by seniors is out there for a reason — it’s a fact. But why?
It’s a Way to Keep the Mind Active
Bingo is more than just a way to pass the time – it is a way to engage, to be active without being physically or mentally overwhelmed. The very rules of the game require the participants to be alert.
Studies show that Bingo players have better memory, mental capacity, concentration, and ability to absorb new information than non-Bingo players. Multiple playing cards and the constant announcements of new numbers keeps the players’ minds busy. This is perfect for the elderly as they need to exercise both their mental and physical health more than any other age group.
It Encourages Hand-Eye Coordination
It’s well established that the elderly need to take extra care of themselves. As we age, our bodies and minds become fragile, thus requiring careful monitoring and up-keep to remain healthy. Bingo provides a minor physical workout that is perfect for seniors.
Searching for and stamping the right numbers on playing cards builds effective hand-eye coordination, especially since the process requires a certain amount of haste. Yet, there’s no stress or physical exhaustion. That’s the beauty of the game: the player is challenged in ways that are perfect for the aging body.
It’s a Social Event
A typical game comes with a fair amount of noise: a conversation over there, some giggling over here, maybe a debate somewhere in the corner, with the announcement of new numbers amidst it all.
The human mind needs social interaction to stay healthy. In fact, research from Harvard School of Public Health shows evidence of slower rate of memory decline in the elderly who have active social lives.
To participate with others, or even compete with them, can give us a sense of purpose and belonging. A common goal or event gives us a topic of conversation – helps us to find a common ground amongst our individual differences. It brings us together.
It’s a Healthy Part of Life in an Assisted Living Facility
Living at an assisted living facility is like living in a small village with its own culture and inside jokes, gossip and drama, important events and celebrations. Residents go on outings, have movie nights, gather for religious services, and attend the weekly Bingo games.
Residents of assisted living facilities form friendships and even romances; sometimes they quarrel; but they’re always together, never alone. An evening of Bingo is an evening with peers. It’s a way to meet newcomers and make new friends. It’s experiencing life as life is.
Bingo is Not Just a Game
In the end, people need to engage all aspects of life. A simple game like Bingo fulfills our desire for social interaction, as well as physical and mental activity. Communities for the elderly understand these crucial elements of well-being.
Bingo is not just a game, just as an assisted living facility is not just a place where the elderly receive continuous care. Bingo is a way to be involved with life, just as an assisted living facility is a place to keep living a safe, independent, comfortable life.