Use of gaming console is as efficient as conventional physiotherapy in helping to deal with mobility problems, writes RONAN McGREEVY
THE NINTENDO Wii console has proved to be as efficient as conventional physiotherapy in helping elderly patients deal with severe mobility problems.
A pilot study, carried out at Tallaght hospital, involved a group of elderly people in their late 70s and early 80s. They used the popular console to play games such as tennis and golf.
The Wii, where players mimic actions such as throwing a punch in boxing or taking a swing of a golf club as part of a computer game, is already extensively used in get-fit classes.
Another control group used conventional exercises. All the patients involved were impaired as a result of strokes, arthritis or weakness of muscles after a severe illness.
The project was carried out in conjunction with Trinity College Dublin and its results were presented to the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society conference which took place in the new Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) last week.
Prof Desmond O’Neill, one of the organisers of the conference, said there was initial resistance from elderly people involved in the project.
“They would never have come across this sort of thing before and they were worried they would look silly doing it,” he said.
“[But] once the older people gained an acquaintance with it, the results were similar to standard physiotherapy. As currently configured, it is a good starting point.”
Prof O’Neill said the Wii could be used as an “extra arm of therapy” and larger studies of the technology are planned.
Two other Irish papers presented at the conference also highlighted the use of modern technology in the care of elderly people.
One involved a project using YouTube for reminiscence therapy in dementia. It is being carried out at the Adelaide and Meath Hospital in Tallaght.
The other is a project involving telemedicine which allows patients at four Irish hospitals to access a specialist stroke physician at evenings and weekends through a remote robot called Robo-Doc.
Nearly 1,000 delegates turned up to the centre for what was the largest geriatric medicine conference ever held in Europe.
Two of the main speakers were former president Mary Robinson and the Nobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney.
Prof O’Neill said the conference proved to be a success both for the convention centre and for Ireland.
Recognition was given to the Health Service Executive Elder Abuse Programme when Marguerite Clancy of HSE West won the President’s Medal for the best platform presentation, on the national elder abuse database.