WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – Veterans at the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center have been using an interactive gaming system for about a month to help them stay mentally and socially engaged.
Staff at the VA say the magic gaming table was a gift from the American Legion Auxiliary group.
“As the days get kind of long, this is a great way for us to engage them, just keep them socially engaged with either the staff or other veterans,” said Dr. Christine Schrag, Associate Chief of Staff of Geriatric and Extended Care.
Staff members use the system as a structured activity to maintain interest and not something that becomes mundane. Sara Monckton, CLC Nurse Manager, said veterans often request to ‘play with the fish’, referring to a fishing game.
“They don’t always know the gaming system, but when they ask to play with fish, or things like that, that’s usually what they’re asking for is to come and chase down the fish,” Monckton said.
“As we’ve shown some different fishing games that some of them like to participate in, they talk about their fishing experiences,” Schrag said. “Bring back some memories so we can learn to know them better and be able to engage with them better as well.”
Monckton spoke with veteran Presley Thornton about the game.
“A lot of times, when you’re doing the fish, it has reminded you of a lot of stories of when you were growing up, like with your dad,” Monckton said.
“Yeah, the water didn’t really get deep until we got onto the other side. That’s where we caught the salmon. It was cold,” Thornton remembered.
Schrag said that Thornton loves to play the games and he can play for hours.
“It requires skill and speed,” Thornton said. “All of them are challenging, makes it fun. If they were easy it wouldn’t be fun.”
“He may have a little bit of memory issues, but that’s okay. We can still find ways to engage him, keep him active,” Schrag said.
Monckton said staff members have used the table to help veterans in wheelchairs stretch by placing it on their laps when they couldn’t reach the TV.
“It’s a great way for us to use to just engage our veterans. It’s another tool in our tool kit, that if they start to get a little too overactive, a little agitated as you may say, you don’t have to necessarily resort to a medication to try to get them to calm down,” Schrag said. “We can engage them with different systems, different games and hopefully help them through a little bit of a difficult time they are having.”
More than 150 games can be played on the gaming system, which costs $10,000.
The Winfield Soldiers Home also received a gaming system.
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