David Snodgress | INstride Katie Brand, an IU student volunteer, helps Gwen Storms play Wii bowling at Bell Trace Senior Living Community.

Every Monday afternoon at 2, a group gathers around the big-screen TV in the Bell Trace Senior Living Center in Bloomington. No, it’s not time for their favorite soap opera. The group of residents are getting set to play games on the center’s Nintendo Wii.

With the guidance and encouragement of volunteer Katie Brand, an Indiana University student, they play their favorite games—golf and bowling.

“It’s a confidence booster,” said Kathy Aiken, director of resident services at Bell Trace, home to about 200 seniors. “They are very proud of themselves and you hear a lot of clapping and cheering from the room when they play. They really encourage each other.”

At Bell Trace, Wii is offered as recreation, not therapy.

In Lawrence County, the physical therapy department at Mitchell Manor Nursing and Rehab uses the interactive game to help patients regain function and mobility. Unlike some forms of therapy, they are making gains, without realizing it. Because the Wii games are challenging and fun, patients are distracted from the hard work of therapy.

“If someone can stand up for 30 seconds, all of a sudden you have them playing an interactive game and they might stand up for 5 minutes,” said Paul Meyer, registered occupational therapist, and rehab services manager at Mitchell Manor. “When you say, ‘Hey you stood up for 5 minutes,’ it kind of blows them away.”

Nintendo Wii is finding a niche in senior centers and long-term care facilities, where it is used as “Wii-hab.”

Using Wii sports such as tennis or boxing and carnival games, the therapists can work on different skills with their patients.

“We can select a game where they shift their weight from side to side, or forward to back,” Meyer said.

Mitchell Manor has been using the Wii since December 2007. Meyer said it’s very popular with patients.

Bell Trace bought its Wii game about 18 months ago. It was the first video game system the center bought for residents.

“It took a while for it to catch on,” said Aiken.

More residents are playing the games since the arrival of a volunteer.

“Katie’s main role is as a cheerleader and technician,” said Aiken. “If they don’t understand something or there’s a technical problem, they don’t have any idea how to fix it, but with Katie there she can fix it. It’s also a great intergenerational thing to have it here.”

Aiken said before the residents had a volunteer to play the games with them, interest would wane if the residents encountered a problem with the game or using the controllers.

“It’s much better since she began working with them,” said Aiken.

Mary Margaret McCoy played games on the Wii as a rehab patient at Mitchell Manor a few months ago. Because of back pain, standing was uncomfortable, and she avoided it.

“When I’m standing, I’m thinking about standing,” she said. “But when I play the game, I don’t think about standing and wanting to sit down.”

Meyer said because patients hold onto a controller while watching the game on a TV screen, they practice coordinating their vision with their motor skills.

He said the Nintendo Wii is no substitute for other therapy tools, but it is showing that it is a useful tool to improving balance, endurance and mobility.

Back at Bell Trace, Aiken said Wii is more popular with women than men.

“The women have played it more, so they are actually better at the games than the men,” she said. “So when the men try it and they get beat, then they don’t come back.”

She also said it can be tricky at first to get the timing down of swinging an arm and pressing the button on the controller.

“It does require manual dexterity to swing their

arm and release the button in the right sequence,” she said.

David Snodgress | INstride Katie Brand, an IU student volunteer, helps Freeda Smith play Wii bowling at Bell Trace Senior Living Community.

David Snodgress | INstride Joy Baranko plays Wii bowling at Bell Trace Senior Living Community.