A ‘game’ Technique to Improve Cognitive Ability in the Elderly with Dementia

E-ISSN： 1447-9575|10|9|29-40

ISSN： 1447-9524

Source： The International Journal of Knowledge, Culture, and Change Management: Annual Review, Vol.10, Iss.9, 2011-01, pp. : 29-40

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Abstract

Dementia is the progressive decline in cognitive function due to damage or disease in the body beyond what might be expected from normal aging. It is a non-specific illness syndrome in which affected areas of cognition may be memory, attention, language, and problem solving. Higher mental functions are affected first in the process. Especially in the later stages of the condition, affected persons may be disoriented in time (not knowing what day of the week, day of the month, month, or even what year it is), in place (not knowing where they are), and in person (not knowing who they are or others around them). This paper reported the use of a technique involving a game that focuses on two cognitive functions - memory and problem solving. The ‘game’ was developed by first experimenting with a few essential perceptual factors such as vision and hearing in the elderly with dementia. On the basis of the observation, we came up with two games (i.e., memory and problem solving) that were later used in training to improve cognitive functions of the elderly with dementia. After three sessions of training that ran across two months we compared the reaction times and scores of the participants from the two games. The results suggest an improvement in the memory as well as problem solving abilities of the elderly. These experimental results are hoped to contribute as a method in the rehabilitation of the elderly with dementia.