The bridge games have been abandoned and the crosswords put to one side. Instead, the elderly residents of one retirement home in a Birmingham suburb have opted for a slightly more advanced means of entertainment. Pensioners aged 80 and above at the Sunrise Senior Living Centre in Edgbaston are now hooked to the Nintendo Wii, the latest hi-tech video games console.

Taking it in turns with the hand-held controls, the pensioners go head to head against one another in the various games.

The console, which costs about £200, reacts to body motion. The games require each player to carry out appropriate actions depending on what they want their character to do.

For example Wii Tennis, one of the most popular games, requires players to swing their controls as if they were holding a racquet. The golf game works in a similar way.

The craze at the home all started three weeks ago when one of the chefs brought in a console belonging to his son and lent it to staff for the weekend. Diane Rudge, the executive director at the centre, said: "They were absolutely hooked.

"They're up of their armchairs and moving about and there's a real team spirit.

"We're going to invest in a whole library of games so they don't get bored."

Bowling has proved to be the most popular game at the home where 90-year-old Barrie Edgar is emerging as a keen star.

Mr Edgar said: "It's fiercely competitive. We're all addicts and it's really bridged the generation gap.

"I'm so glad they got us one of own."

Next month staff are organising a special tournament amongst the residents with a prize of gift vouchers on offer for the winner.

The games system has proved to be such a success that executives at Sunrise Senior Living are now planning to buy one for each of their 15 residential homes.

If this goes ahead, inter-care home tournaments would take place with teams of elderly residents travelling to other care homes via mini-buses for matches.

Dr Lorna Layward, research manager at Help the Aged, said: "Anything that gets elderly people up off their feet and trying something new is a very good thing.

"There have been no studies into the health benefits effects of this game on the elderly, but we are always encouraging them to stay physically and mentally active."

Such games consoles have already been shown to burn up calories and help weight loss.

Earlier this year a study by John Moores University in Liverpool found that regular use could help shift 27lb (12.25kg) a year.

Residents, who are aged between 80 and 103, were so enthralled by the games that they demanded that staff purchase one immediately.

Submitted by K-Man 16/09/2007 599 15

Join MyWii to vote for your favourite story!

Source URL:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/14/ngame114.xml

• 
  Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
• 
  Big Beach Sports
• 
  Medal of Honor Vanguard
• 
  Fatal Frame IV

• 
  Giant NES controller coffee table
• 
  Human Tetris
• 
  Wii remote and Need For Speed Hot Pursuit 2
• 
  Ninja Bread Man (Wii)

• 
  22 44
• 
  51 36
• 
  15 27
• 
  28 24
• 
  22 19
• 
  11 18