Taking play seriously

Volunteering in a Care Home for older adults is recognised as a useful pathway into medicine. But how to get the most out of the experience and develop the sort of personal and professional skills that can't be learnt from textbooks but are crucial for person-centred care? I have been exploring how 'reflective practice' can be used by a volunteer as a framework for 'experiential research'. While visiting a local care home twice a week over the past seven months, I have been using this method to observe, analyse and develop the ways in which traditional games, from crosswords to bingo, can be adapted for use by volunteers (or family members) as an effective, low cost, mutually beneficial framework for working together playfully. Informed by existing longitudinal studies and randomised control trials and cross-referenced with recent neurological research, I have set out to better understand the health benefits of growing old playfully – benefits that include, but are not limited to, cognitive stimulation, mood enhancement and social inclusion. To join me on my journey, watch my video.