you Tap on the belly of a Dachshund, bends it into a knot. Pushing him in one direction or the other, he pulls in the length. “Petting Zoo” is the name of the game, “petting zoo” and the animals on Display are drawn so lovely that not only children find Favor. Bettina Wegenast attacks like the petting zoo, if you visited with your digital game case age homes. In the baggage she has, respectively, six Tablets, and a word she avoids deliberately: computer games. Finally, you want to provoke defensive reactions in an audience, for the “Gaming” continues to be a foreign word.
The fear is often unfounded. You get almost only positive reactions to their game afternoons, says Bettina Wegenast: “Sometimes, all the table fun rounds of the Games. I’m amazed at how persistent the seniors, and seniors often.”
The Material is a small piece
Wegenast has worked for thirty years with computer games. As a teacher and former owner of a comic book store she is to play in the early 90s, by means of a learning CD-Rom for the video Gamer has become. In her work as a theater writer, the Game world has often played a role: In pieces such as “Sara Meets Real Life” or “Let’s Play fir: A game for Benny” refers to the from Berne on the creative and positive aspects of digital gaming.
Wegenasts Studio in a quiet residential area looks like, as one imagines the work room of a primary school teacher: colorful, friendly and full of Material, but neat. On the walls pictures, drawings, and posters to hang. Only at second glance, the large screen catches the eye, the 56-don’t need Years of more likely to a television. In the box including cables and consoles are.
Felt the visits to the retirement home bedückend – and one day your Tablet with: Bettina Wegenast. Photo: Adrian Moser
computer games are also something for the older Generation could be realized by Bettina Wegenast, as they went for a time in old people’s homes and from. Her mother was suffering from Alzheimer’s, and her mother-in-law came with a slight dementia to a home. The visits found them to often as depressing and empty: “There are in the homes, often without any offers, which would make the encounter between residents and members of carefree.” Especially when the conversations are difficult, because the common issues are missing, or the language due to disease dry.
Wegenast began to play with your mother Board or card games, but it turned out that either the Material was too small piece, the rounds of the game too long continued, or the rules no longer were present. That’s why Wegenast brought your Tablet. And aroused not only the interest of the mother-in-law, but also of other residents. As she told a friend who is a computer scientist from the University of applied Sciences North-Western Switzerland, the idea became rapidly a study project. Students of the FHNW visited homes to find out what kind of Games seniors appeal to could. At the same time was not born with the Label of “Myosotis”, Latin my Japanese for “forget”.
to Play “What gits, z’machinery and transport equipment”, to get into conversation with each other. Video: myosis.i4ds.net
As one of the first games What gits z Sels was “?”. In a maze of the ingredients need to be searched for a cooking recipe. “The Nice thing is that it comes about cooking and eating very quickly into the conversation,” said Wegenast. “An Elderly woman told me, what cheese your husband used for the Fondue at the end, I learned their whole life story, and we together sat for the whole afternoon.”
Wegenast, click on another App on your Tablet and the Display of food floating around, bread, meat, tomato, Ketchup. With the index finger to grab and add to the multi-storey hamburgers along. In another game, the front and rear parts of vehicles right together, and if the vehicle is complete, a rise cute animal characters and off showers. Why the seniors are actually not just Games for the most Recent offer? “You can actually make old people Fun. But sometimes the graphics or the sounds too as a child, because it needs adjustments.”
No therapeutic intent
Bettina Wegenast used to your game afternoons, in addition to the prototypes of the games of the University of applied Sciences in existing Games. It is important, she says, that the game was neither too fast nor too nervous. And the elements must not be too small – the visibility, particularly for persons with visual impairment, must be ensured.
“Fun and games come in the old people’s homes is definitely too short.”Bettina Wegenast
Also people with dementia are interested in games. Wegenast leads, one in the space sparkling lines of pull. A tone sounds when all points are connected correctly – here’s more of the senses than of the spirit. Sprightly seniors prefer Games with a bit of kompetitiverem character, for example, a kind of digital Curling, in which you can wegschubsen the stones of the opponent.
the high score is not. Not a question, people using the Tablet to sedate. Or any of the skills practice. “A therapeutic intent, I’m not aware of,” said Wegenast. Rather, the “Myosotis”-games should mean Fun and games. “There are in old people’s homes is definitely too little. I want to change that.”
Because the Games offered by Wegenast, are first and foremost catalysts for conversation and encounter, you not only Elderly, but equally to their families. “If people in the age of change, irritated the. Maybe you have a guilty Conscience that his Relatives in home care. In this Situation, the games allow you to be happier together.” Maybe even big children find the visits more interesting, adds Wegenast.
“singing circle and felting are at the age for me has no perspective.”Bettina Wegenast
In Switzerland, have not yet creates a lot of homes for the elderly Tablets of. In the Netherlands, for example, the digitization in this field was more advanced, says Wegenast. Another country, which is also already on an aging society, Japan. That robots are there in the aged care common, however, is a myth “they are much too expensive to be widely used”.
The range of “Myosotis” is supposed to be acquire in a reasonable period of time ready for the market, that is to say, as a game collection on the App Store. Could be a little pit one day for the gold? “No,” says Wegenast. “It is likely to remain a niche product. The market is too small.” This is also the reason why the big players are not yet on this audience segment, to become attentive. But also the independent, smaller Game developers don’t have this age group in mind. Not yet. “You were far too young. It is only now that the first Indie come Games for children. Because the developers are now themselves parents.”
Monster with nose picking
Bettina Wegenast opens a new App, and on the screen of a turquoise-blue plush monster appears. “Hello Lenard,” she says. And the beast says: “Hello Lenard.” Not only the voice recognition to come in the seniors well. But also, that Lenard had not behaved quite so well. He picks his nose.
Gaming in old age, so this means not necessarily sitting lonely in a darkened room in front of the screen. “And when?”, ask Wegenast. “I look forward, if I even have time to gaming endless. Singing circle and felting for me is no perspective.” She laughs and tickles the plush monster. What Lenard begins to giggle.
Created: 25.11.2019, 14:45 PM
