On the occasion of Paris Games Week, one of the biggest video game events, report at the Les Chenets retirement home in Courbevoie, to talk about video games with elderly people.
It’s aperitif time at Les Chenets. Marcel is at the piano. The champion here is Josiane, a virtual bowling specialist. She is runner-up in the Silver Geek, a competition for seniors. This moment on stage, in front of the audience, when she brandished her controller to knock down the pins, she will not soon forget: “ If I win, I win. If I lose, I lose… It’s a game! People were shouting “Josiane! Josiane!” (Laughs) It made me happy. They gave me the courage to play, I’m proud. »
“ Josiane opened up completely »
His first supporter is Pauline, the host. “ Josiane opened up completely with this workshop. Really, he’s not the same person I knew at the very beginning, she greets. Since we do lots of things together, especially video games. We still went on stage, and there was still an audience! And thanks to that, today, someone has opened up. »
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At 29, Pauline is also a bit of a geek. She therefore participates in the establishment of this video game culture in this retirement home. “ I hesitated to also bring back the old consoles to try to play them. Because they simply didn’t want it to stop! I have a tablet at the animation, so they continue to do general knowledge quizzes. Often it’s “Who wants to be a millionaire?” with several applications. »
Exercises for body and mind
Because there are console players, but also tablet players, like Claude, 86 years old, and Andrée, 96 years old, who love general knowledge quizzes. “ There are lots of questions, we learn lots of things. There are some we know, and others we don’t know », Indicates one. “ We answer the questions that are asked on the tablet, it allows us to exercise the mind a little, to avoid having not very pleasant thoughts. Video games, I think they’re good », Supports the other.
And it’s also good for your health, according to Guy, a nurse here for over 20 years: “ It’s original ! In addition, in terms of treatment, there is the physiotherapy side, they will move their body a little. The visual side, the concentration side. For me, it’s a treatment. »
This retirement home therefore trains future e-sport champions of the elderly. And everyone is getting ready for the next Silver Geek, next summer.
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