The Lady-Links look for ways to interact with our dear friends, those ladies in our retirement community in various stages of cognitive decline. We’ve found that playing Uno is a great way to enjoy a visit together, plus there are benefits as well.
There’s something special about playing a card game in our adult years that we used to play as a child. It brings back wonderful memories, many of which involve a favorite grandparent spending time with us, teaching us to play games like Uno, Go Fish, Old Maid or Canasta. Such positive emotional stimulation affects our attitude, and the effects can last even after the card game has ended.
Uno, as well as other card games, can stimulate the brain helping with cognitive function. Uno keeps the mind active, boosts concentration, and promotes hand-eye coordination and tactile stimulation. In addition, Uno improves recall of numbers and colors, direction of play, and rules.
When playing Uno with our dear friend, we occasionally give “prompts” that will help her play successfully. We only give “help” when needed. We maintain the rules of the game, but at the same time, we slow the pace of the game and give verbal directions such as when a card is played that requires a reversal of the direction of play.
Skills of shuffling and dealing the cards will decline as cognition worsens, but there’s still many benefits to being part of a group that can engage in an enjoyable game of Uno. The fun, social interaction is what’s important, and Uno provides all that and more!
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