Unfortunately many seniors become physically inactive while they are still in good shape. It’s called the “activation-passivation curve.” That is the time between an elder switching from an active to a sedentary lifestyle. Meanwhile, this is the time in a senior’s life when they need to stay active, or the changes often become irreversible.
We’ve had an exercise game that kids and adults could play in hospitals and offices to stay active during a recovery period or a workday. But such a game is not easy to play for someone whose physical shape is deteriorating. After a couple of brainstorming sessions, I asked our game developers how we could adapt our exercise game for the seniors. In that segment, we have a huge demand for a gamified solution to support physical and cognitive activity.
We needed to create a game for those who can’t do a lot of physical movement yet make it activating and stimulating for the body and mind. We needed the game to engage other senses, such as hearing and smell. And that’s how the idea for the gameplay tailored for the seniors was born.
Our walk in a park- game corresponds to the significant need to activate the elderly at home. The game uses motion sensing, and analysis is done via artificial intelligence in real-time. GeriActive is more than just a game that enhances physical and cognitive activity: it is also a visual gaming experience that maintains cognitive abilities and brings contextual sounds into the play and gaming experience.
Rehaboo! together with the City of Helsinki and the Alzheimer’s Association of Helsinki are now trialing the Rehaboo! Activity Game for the elderly living home alone.
Read more about the pilot:
We have recently installed the game in several care homes and assisted living facilities in Finland. We are looking forward to working with the elderly living at home alone next. Our team is thrilled about the opportunity to bring the game to more people who need it and grow our business case. The amount of elderly people is estimated to grow for another 30 years, until 2052, and we want to be part of fighting inactivity within the elderly
Let’s stay active!
Katju Lähteenaro
COO, Co-Founder
