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Acres residents enjoy new game room |
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Friday, 28 August 2009 |
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By KRISTA HAYES
Staff Writer
To help improve the quality of life for its senior citizens, Auglaize Acres recently created a game room at its facility.
“We’re always trying to meet the needs of our residents,” Auglaize Acres Activities Director Barb King said, noting it is the only nursing home in the area to offer such recreational space and games to its residents. “My philosophy is that the quality of life is having a meaningful day, and we want to give our residents a reason to get up in the morning.”
Mike Briscoe, a resident who utilizes the game room, said he typically plays pool up to three times a week.
“I get tired of chasing the nurses around so instead I play pool,” Briscoesaid with a hearty laugh. “I usually play with the ladies on the staff but the nurses and everybody else here at the facility treat us real nice and like to joke around and have fun.
“I’ve even mentioned to Barb about getting a ping-pong table, or at least the cover tops we can put over the pool table,” he said. “I think I would enjoy that since I’m not quite that good at air hockey yet.”
Also using the game room to play her favorite card games is resident Norma Gutmann, who has lived at the nursing home facility for a little more than a year.
“I have a friend who comes in once a week to play cards with me,” Gutmann said. “We play everything — euchre, sheep hand, which is an old German card game and hand and foot. We’ve played that game for 20 years and have kept a running score.
“What I like the most about the game room is the people,” Gutmann said. “They are all so good to us here at the facility and were really spoiled now that we have the game room.”
Raising nearly $3,000 in donations from local and area businesses, residents and family members of the residents, King said the facility completed the game room in phases in month, with it taking her a year alone to raise funds for a brand new pool table.
Composed of a pool table along with an electric dartboard, air hockey table, card table and a big screen TV complete with a Nintendo Wii game system, King said the new game room has been well received by Auglaize Acres residents.
“Usually in the late afternoons is when all the residents get out of their rooms to come enjoy the game room, but since the space is so new its hard to determine just how many utilize the room on any given day,” King said. “Just the socialization itself is important, and the game room was really intended to get the male residents out of their rooms since there isn’t a whole lot around here for them to do. However, the women never seem to get bored because they do everything.”
Using the room to play games, watch TV, read the newspaper or socialize with staff, other residents or family members, King said she hopes the game room continues its success and intrigues family members of residents to come and play games with the residents.
“Family members of residents are welcome to come in at any time to play games with their loved ones,” King said. “It’s better than them sitting alone all by themselves in a little room, and since they’ve given all throughout their lives, this is just a little way we can show our appreciation and give back to them.”
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Last Updated ( Monday, 31 August 2009 )
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