Barking Mad Bingo Helps Dementia Patients Stay Alert

Drive through bingo and bonkers bingo are two of the zaniest bingo inventions to come out of 2020 and in a way, we were kind of expecting it with the world being turned on its head and all that, but what we weren’t expecting was a session of doggie bingo! A golden retriever named Georgie has proved that the game has no limits after hosting a session of doggie bingo at a care home in Scotland and staying within government guidelines, the action was beamed live into player’s rooms via the internet.

The pawsome bingo games were courtesy of three trained community dementia dogs who were trained to pick bingo balls out from a pot for and anyone who owns a Golden Retriever will know, they’re cute, sassy and entertaining! I’ve a 17-month-old Golden (Tilly!) and she’s forever bringing me toys and gifts – in exchange for treats of course! Each of the dogs were told to bring the numbered balls for the caller, but it wasn’t always plain sailing!

Dog handler Carla Haizelden said: “Doggy bingo is very straightforward and easy to play. The players can watch Billy go and fetch a ball with a random number on it from a container. He passes it to me, and I read out the number. Although the dogs are all very well trained, we do allow them to have their own personality so it’s only natural that they sometimes get distracted and go off.”

Keep the Brain Sharp

Did you know, a major study was carried out back in 2018 and its findings showed that playing bingo (and other types of memory games) really was good for you! The results showed those who played bingo in their 20’s and 30’s had better cognitive abilities in later life! It also showed senior players to have better hand to eye co-ordination and by playing bingo regularly, their mind was sharper, and this enabled them to stay alert.

Carla continued: “There have been times during a game when Billy walks off to get my slippers or a toy instead of a bingo ball and that always gives everyone a bit of a laugh. He also gets impatient and whines when I’m talking too much because he wants to get on with the playing game and pick the numbers.”

Run by Alzheimer Scotland and the UK-wide charity Dogs for Good, the bingo sessions proved to be a major hit and so far, the group have delivered 70 group sessions, reaching more people online than they every did in person! Virtual dog bingo games were introduced back in March to help dementia patients stay alert and to reduce the stress of isolation.

Donna Paterson, a dementia advisor at Alzheimer Scotland, said: “Participants can’t wait for the next session. They want to know when it is, and they love the fact that it’s the dog that picks the bingo balls. They’re quite a competitive bunch and they’re really enjoying the banter online – it’s been a highlight for them and us and a real boost of positivity in the day.”

Source: “Eyes Down: Doggie Bingo Sessions Help Dementia Patients Stay Connected”. The Courier. December 21, 2020.