Shuffle Board in Vegas Administrator: Ms. Elizabeth Hayes Cullman Health Care & Rehab Center 1067 Main Avenue NE Cullman, Alabama 35055 (256) 734-8745 Sponsored By: 34
Shuffle Board in Vegas In 100 words or less describe your Best Practice: How many of you can remember your uncle, father, or maybe, even your grandfather gathered around a table with their guy friends playing cards, rolling the dice, gambling under the table and for sure laughing out loud telling their tales. Gambling is by no means a new concept, but as age progresses the memory fails. Our modified shuffle board game embodies the gambling spirit by being played on a renovated Vegas style table board. What problem does your Best Practice address and what is its primary purpose? In most nursing homes you find more female residents than males, therefore more activities focused toward female residents. This was brought to our attention by one of our male residents. He even stated This may be why we are having a lack of participation in activities with male and younger residents. We met with our male and younger residents to discuss with them the activities they would like to see on the activity calendar. During the meeting residents stated that they enjoyed most playing cards with their friends, laughing, telling stories, and even gambling. As each resident s story unfolded of the things they enjoyed, you could tell how much they missed those friendships and social activities. While discussing ideas they let us know in their own way they can t follow card suit like they use to. They also mentioned shuffle board, but knew their physical abilities were becoming more and more limited. This inspired us to create something with a fresh and new twist to an old game. Getting male residents involved as well as a younger generation, this program modifies the original shuffleboard game so that everyone can play. This new game inspires reminiscing and is excellent for socialization, cognition and strategy. What group(s) of residents and others are involved in your Best Practice, and how does it work? Who and how many are helped, what are the benefits to these people and what methods or procedures/protocols are used to get results? Our Best Practice is open to mid - high level cognitive function residents that express an interest in Shuffle Board in Vegas. It is not gender specific and, appeals to every age, even though it was originally designed for male and younger residents to become more involved. Our first step in implementing this program was a meeting with the targeted residents; we realized how much they missed Activities from their past such as traveling to different parts of the country. They were talking about Vegas, Tom Jones, and even the Rat Pack. At that time we put our minds together and came up with Shuffle Board in Vegas. So let me introduce to 35
you Shuffle Board in Vegas. To play this modified shuffleboard game we bring together card play, in the style of the board in which the game is played on. The playing surface of the game has been modified from the ground to table top, with colorful images of card suits on the board. We have done away with heavy tangs that push the pucks up the board and changed the puck to renovated poker chips. All of this is done on a lovely laminated green felt board giving it the look and feel of a real casino black jack table. Modifying the game from the floor to the table enables more residents to play. To play the game you need four players, each to take a section on the board. Their sections for game play are laid out going from closest to the end of the table and away from the body. The Foul Line, you must fully cross the foul line for your puck to be counted on the board. If you do not cross the foul line you must try again. From the Foul Line you enter a middle section on the board; you must pass this section completely prior to gaining a scoring position. The scoring positions are 5, 10, 15, & 20. You must completely enter each scoring section to gain points. To move your puck up the board you must begin off the board and you have two ways of moving your puck. You can flick or thump your puck up the board or you can slide your puck up the board. Keep in mind that when sliding the puck you must lift your hand away before entering the playing surface of your board. Each player will move their puck up the board one at a time. While moving their pucks up the board they can actually affect the outcome of the score of the resident sitting directly across from them. If a resident s puck leaves their playing field and enters the playing field of the resident sitting directly in front of them knocking their puck out of play it is completely fair. This engages residents to use the cognitive skills needed for strategizing their moves. After all players have moved all four of their pucks up the board, the round will end and we will begin scoring. The first player to reach a designated number will win. For short games we go to 100 for longer games we go to 200-250. When the winning player at each table has been determined that player will receive a red Winner! poker chip. When first implementing this program we thought it would only affect the targeted residents. As word of the new game spread among residents, it became more and more popular with our residents. The male and younger residents playing the game began inviting the women to play. All of the residents enjoy the competitive nature of this game, the socialization, and friendships they have created during game play. They reminisce about old card games they used to play; their cognitive abilities are challenged by strategy building, improves their hand/eye coordination, and they get to relive, in some way, games from their past. What has your Best Practice accomplished and how have you been able to tell this? (You are permitted to give numbers and/or use specific before and after examples.) This game has been such a great success in a short period of time. The first game started with four participants and a few observers. The competitive energy that was brought into the game from the residents and the activity staff had other staff members stopping by to see what all the cheering was about. The residents had enjoyed the game so much they took their excitement out to the halls by talking about it with the other residents. The game became more and more popular each and every time. We had increased from 4 to 24 participants within two months time. The target residents had requested for Shuffle Board in Vegas to be put on the Activity calendar weekly and are participating more often in Activities. Not only is Shuffle Board in Vegas a fun game it has helped the residents in other ways as well. It has brought back so many great memories that they all really enjoyed and miss so very much. When you have your memories of your past sometimes you feel you can face the future. We have seen some improvement with their cognition, socializing skills, and coordination since initiating this game. 36
What problems, obstacles, or challenges might other facilities face in replicating part or all of your innovation? Were there any adverse effects or any ways that things turned out differently than you had planned? Do you know of any other facilities which have tried this or a similar best practice idea? A good assessment of your resident s cognitive abilities as well as their personalities go a long way in preventing issues among the residents that you may encounter. Some examples of common issues are residents who will not play alongside other residents because of their level of cognition. Some residents do not want to give up their seat so others can play or sometimes their competitiveness gets the best of them, but when we redirect them they always seem to be a good team player. Even though Shuffle Board has been around for many years, to my knowledge I do not know of Shuffle Board being demonstrated this way or of anyone who has submitted this practice for Alabama Best Practice. What was the cost to implement your Best Practice (include dollars, staff, supplies, equipment, etc.)? How did you pay for it? Green Fabric/Laminating - $ 17.97 Craft Paint - $ 8.47 Poker Chips - $ 7.00 Overall results. Priceless! What are the reasons you consider this Best Practice to be excellent and innovative? We consider our Best Practice excellent and innovative because it improves each resident s quality of life. When you have built a stronger relationship with your friends, you are able to relive and share your great memories with these friends each and every time you sit around the table to play Shuffle Board in Vegas. As life continues and people age they continue to develop until the end of life. The baby boomers will continue to desire their youth and are willing to strive to achieve it. This activity allows a return to their youth and provides an opportunity to expand current relationships and develop new relationships through the telling or sharing of their stories. All that s required now is the free salad bar pass! 37
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