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Your Social Life
Why We Love Games
They occupy our minds, keep us in touch with others…and they’re loads of fun
When 74-year-old Yvonne Molloy visits her grandchildren, the topic immediately turns to double- and triple-word scores. “My 17-year-old granddaughter says, ‘Get out the Scrabble board,’” Molloy says. “But it’s my 11-year-old grandson who always wins.”
Molloy is among the millions of people nationwide over age 50 who adore games just as much as children do. She sees the health benefits of games—from bingo to backgammon—every day as activities director on a rehabilitation unit at Lehigh Valley Hospital. “When people recovering from surgery get together to play a game, they’re re-energized,” she says. “They’re socializing and feeling better about themselves.”
Benefits of games
They sharpen the mind. “Playing a game is like doing mental pushups,” says geriatrician Gene Ginsberg, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “They keep your brain strong by exercising it.” A 2003 study of 469 people age 75 and older showed that those who read, did puzzles, or played cards or games at least four days a week were two-thirds less likely to get Alzheimer’s disease.
They keep you connected. Games give people a chance to laugh and meet new friends, all while following a uniform set of rules that makes all the players equal.
They keep you young. Because they’re beloved by people of all ages, games allow grandparents to share something from their own childhood—say, a game of jacks—with younger generations. “Trivia games also keep you young by triggering pleasant memories from your youth,” Ginsberg says.
They may even build up your immune system. A 2001 study showed that women who played contract bridge—a game where players need to plan ahead, sequence numbers and use judgment—developed a marked increase in disease-fighting cells.
Finding the right game
Is Scrabble perfect for the retired English teacher and Clue a suspected hit for the retired police detective? Perhaps…but the perfect game for you is probably dictated more by your psychological makeup than your profession.
“If you’re competitive, you’ll probably favor board or card games with others who are going all-out to win, too,” says Tom Miller, director of the Adult Transitions program at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “If you’re more laid-back, you might choose games you can do by yourself, like solitaire.”
A Game You Can’t Win
While a game of checkers is good clean fun, playing games of chance at a casino can be risky business. Soon, slot machines will be popping up throughout the region, and “chances are, you won’t strike it rich,” says Tom Miller, director, Adult Transitions.
The safest course: Avoid temptation. If you do visit a casino, keep track of your habits. “If you go once a month and spend $50 each time, you’re probably in control,” Miller says. “But if you’re suddenly visiting twice as often and spending twice as much, that’s a sign that gambling is becoming a problem.”
Want to Know More? Expand your game-playing horizons! For a brief rundown of “Nine Nifty Board Games,” call 610-402-CARE or click here.
This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM
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