FeelGood Bingo for Older Adults Kit
Asking an older adult about their mental health is an uncomfortable conversation,
but according to the CDC it’s a conversation worth having. An estimated 9% of adult
Americans meet the criteria for clinical depression. Researchers say some of these
depression cases may be attributed to physical health problems that often occur
later in life such as arthritis, obesity, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes.
But it’s not just physical health problems that cause depression. Seniors make up
12.4% of the U.S. population, yet they account almost a fifth of all suicides. Although
most people who are depressed do not die by suicide, untreated depression can increase
the risk of suicide.
According to the Public Library of Science (PLoS) Medicine Report (May, 2010), seniors
who move into residential homes can be at risk for suicide, but facilities are often
not properly equipped to respond to these sensitive mental health needs.
“The real sadness is that so many seniors know very little about depression, even
accepting it as a fact of life when getting older,” says Douglas G. Jacobs, M.D.,
associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and founder
and president of Screening for Mental Health® (SMH). “It’s when they
don’t view depression as a genuine health concern that we run into problems.”
How Does it Work?
FeelGood Bingo helps seniors start the conversation about the signs and symptoms
of depression and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in a comfortable, social environment.
Instead of letters and numbers, each player's game card contains various icons depicting
common symptoms of depression and GAD.
Click here to learn more or register for a Feel Good Bingo Kit
Kit includes ready-to-go materials:
- 50 bingo boards (5 copies of 10 different boards, ensuring fun for up to 50 participants)
- 24 master deck cards (these cards contain images of signs and symptoms of depression
and general anxiety disorder, such as “lonely” or “restless,” allowing players to
match the master deck image to the images on their bingo board)
- 300 bingo chips (to be used as game markers)
- 50 screening forms
- 50 educational flyers
- Complete access to the Community Downloadable Kit