A touch of magic

People who say playing games will almost always bring trouble should bite their tongues. A board game, introduced in eight Hunter and Central Coast-based aged care facilities in New South Wales, is helping to spark the memories of residents with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

The US-developed board game, Memory Magic, has been described as an ideal therapeutic activity to those who struggle with short-term memory loss and has been purchased and adopted by aged care provider, Anglican Care.

Memory Magic uses Montessori principles, made famous for their use in education, to help jog the memories of older people.

For example, residents may be asked to finish a song title such as Singin’ in the… which in this case, the answer is ‘rain’. The word will be on the residents’ answer board and is designed to help trigger reminiscences about particular songs or movies.

Anglican Care’s marketing and executive support manager, Kylie Jacques, tells DPS eNews the game brings “creative action” to the lives of residents.

After purchasing Memory Magic in late 2009 and trialling it for a month, residents began using the game in 2010.

Ms Jacques says the activity promotes the use of cognitive and motor skills, and increases social interaction among the residents.

“It’s all about fun, increasing social interaction and positive emotions,” Ms Jacques says.

“It’s a way for residents to communicate and connect again. The game is hugely important because it gives residents the opportunity to socialise and feel valued,” she adds.

Residents have the opportunity to play the game once a week for about an hour, and the game, which has been described as “therapeutic”, is generally given to residents in low-care dementia specific facilities.

Memory Magic comes with 16 difference themed game cards of nursery rhymes or songs, and also has therapeutic benefits for the families of residents, as well as the staff who were trained to use the game before given to residents.

Conjuring deep-seeded emotions in both residents and their families, Ms Jacques recalls how one resident, who had not spoken for quite some time, “opened up” while playing the game after a song triggered a recollection of how she used to sing the particular melody to her daughters when they were younger.

According to Ms Jacques, the program was developed to “import better practice” to Anglican Care. She is now speaking to other aged care providers who are also interested in spreading a little magic over their residents.

Hunter-based Anglican Care recently won an award at the Positive Living Awards for the use of the Memory Magic program.