Tag Archives: Cognitive

Meet our web developer, Guy.

Meet the Team: Guy

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In this series, you'll hear from a few of our team members about their favorite moments over the last year! If you missed Karin's post last week, you could find that here. Today Guy, our beloved web developer, shares a beautiful story from his recent trip to the U.S. to meet our users.

 

meet the team

Guy & Karin (Game Developer & Graphic Designer) during their visit to NYC.

Ever since I was a kid, I've been a gamer and appreciated the impact games could have on our lives. When done right, games are engaging, challenging, immersive, and, most importantly, fun! They can take our minds off of things and take us on amazing adventures, while enhancing our coordination, improving our reaction time, and sparking our imagination. My love for games is what made me want to become a programmer and what brought me to RESTORE. 

For the past few years, I have had the opportunity to work and collaborate on a platform that focuses on bringing the fun and engagement of gaming to people who do not get to experience it often (and maybe need it the most). During a recent trip to the U.S. (I'm from Israel), I got to see the result of our hard work in action, and it was AMAZING! I loved seeing how different centers react to and engage with our platform, and I'd like to share one experience that stuck with me.

 

Getting Started

At one center, after our training session with the staff, the DOR invited a nice gentleman in a wheelchair to try out our platform. His O.T. told us that he could stand for about 30 seconds at a time when assisted by at least two staff members. After a short review of the activities, we decided our new friend was about to go skiing for the first time in his life by playing our hit game "Ski Saga." We started the game by having the patient play with his hand while seated to give him a sense of how the games worked. After a short session this way, he was excited and ready to go for real!

It was a bit of a challenge for him to stand up, but with the help of the DOR and his O.T., he was up and ready to go. The game started and...he hit a tree, then another one and another one as he was unable to perform the actions required to move the little skier on the screen. It was then that the DOR asked the player sidestep towards him. The patient took a small step towards the DOR and the little skier responded by changing lanes, avoiding a tree at the last second. It was now time to move to the left, "now sidestep towards me," the O.T. on the other side said while assisting the patient. The patient responded by moving left, and so did the little skier. And then, something incredible happened… another tree came towards our skier, and without any assistance or instruction whatsoever, the patient took a large sidestep to avoid it.

The RESTORE Difference

A few seconds later, and the patient was now playing, standing up assisted only by his O.T. He then went on to play for a few more minutes, eventually entirely on his own (with his O.T. by his side, of course), taking big side steps to the left and right, skillfully controlling the character on the screen and showing the game who's boss! He even forgot about the fact that he was doing therapy because he was having so much fun. Everyone in the room was now watching him play; it was glorious! Our friend, who a few minutes ago was only able to stand for 30 seconds assisted by two people, was now skiing freely from side to side and even taking small squats to avoid bridges.

That was only one of the countless meaningful experiences I had during my fantastic visit, and it sure gave me the motivation to keep making our platform even better for the therapists and patients harnessing the incredible power of gaming.

Follow RESTOREskills on Facebook & LinkedIn for updates on our platform, new game announcements, testimonials, tips, and much much more! To schedule an obligation free demonstration of our on-demand therapy platform with our team, please contact us at info@restoreskills.com or call (330) 968-2879. We look forward to supporting your goals!

Thankful for more RESTORE!

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Beans, greens, potatoes, stuffing, pie…yum! We can’t wait to eat & celebrate with our families next week. Luckily, your players can start their festivities early with these Thanksgiving-themed games! Have fun with the following activities while you reminisce with your patients and families about their favorite holiday stories. They’ll be grateful you did!

Turkey Hunt 

What’s Thanksgiving without the turkey?! In this game, players aim the target at a turkey & dwell on shooting. After playing, a patient said, “I like that it makes you competitive with yourself, and it’s fun to compete with the other patients. I love it! It exercised my arms and mind while having fun!” Launch this game to work on bilateral coordination, accuracy, and range of motion. After all this turkey, you might need a nap!

Fall Feast

It’s time to set the table for your big family dinner! Control the pilgrim by moving side to side to catch the fall feast items shown (listed from bottom to top) while avoiding the incorrect items. When playing this game, a speech therapist in the Marquis network said: “This is great for working memory!” You’ll have your plate full with options, like playing with a controller attached to the hand, head, chest, or finger. Be sure to adjust the range of motion based on the amount of movement desired for your player.

Throwing a Thanksgiving meal for your residents and looking to add some fun?!  These games will have them laughing, reminiscing, and returning for seconds. Log in today to satisfy your appetite! 🍽🦃

Follow  RESTOREskills on Facebook & LinkedIn for updates on our platform, new game announcements, testimonials, tips, and much much more! To have your story featured on our blog, please contact our social media manager via email amanda@restoreskills.com or call (330) 968-2879. We look forward to supporting your goals

patients encourage each other for a better day

Patients Encourage Each Other for a Better Day!

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Here is another happy moment from my trip to our MA facilities last month. If you haven’t had the chance to read my first blog post about Maria’s great therapy experience, you can find it here. But now, I am thrilled to share a story about Joe encouraging his fellow patients that is sure to bring a smile to your face.

Getting to Know Joe

Joe was the very first patient to stop in the gym at River Terrace the morning of our visit. I love meeting patients like Joe, he was open-minded and jumped at the chance to try something new during his therapy session! When finding the right game, Joe mentioned that he had never skied, so we checked that off his bucket list by loading Ski Saga.

While practicing, Joe used various controllers and played four different games to work on weight-shifting, balance, and stepping up & down. He told us that he couldn’t wait to tell his grandson that he went skiing in therapy! After his session was over, Joe left the gym with a big grin on his face. Lucky for us, that wasn’t the last time we would see him during our visit. 

The RESTORE Difference

Just twenty minutes after leaving the therapy gym, Joe was back! At that point, a few other patients had joined our group. “Can I come back and watch you play?” he asked, “this is better than being in my room.” It was fantastic! His positive and upbeat attitude was the key to all of us having a better day.  

The entire time Joe was there to encourage patients as they worked on their own skills. He watched as they played, cheering them on, and making conversation with everyone in the room! It was incredible to see everyone laugh, play, and learn more about each other.  

Do you have a patient story like Joe’s? We’d love to hear about the difference RESTORE games make in your daily treatment! 

Follow  RESTOREskills on Facebook & LinkedIn for updates on our platform, new game announcements, testimonials, tips, and much much more! To schedule an obligation free demonstration of our on-demand therapy platform with our team, please contact us at info@restoreskills.com or call (330) 968-2879. We look forward to supporting your goals!

*Update* One-Click RESTORE!

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When you log in now, you will find that RESTORE has changed for the better!

We’ve said “sayonara” to Five-Click RESTORE and would like to introduce One-Click RESTORE!

Log-in, pick a functional skill, and booyah – engaging therapy is happening!

The Update:

  • Quickly choose from 12 functional skills with familiar titles and easy-to-understand graphic representations (Isolated Flexion/Extension, Cognition, Functional Reach, Activity Tolerance, and Balance)
  • Launch a skill-focused activity session in under 30 seconds
  • Decide if you want to save the results and the set of game you just played after you’re done

We also went ahead and added game instructions and the skills that will be addressed for each game. Use these to explain to the patient how to play and what skills they’re working on.

This update significantly cuts down setup time. We cannot wait for you to check it out! Don’ t forget to track user’s daily progress!

Follow our blog for updates on industry news, PDPM, platform upgrades, new game announcements,  and much much more! To schedule an obligation free demonstration of our on-demand therapy platform with our team, please contact us at info@restoreskills.com or call (330) 968-2879. We look forward to supporting your goals!

“Take Flight” with Our New Reaction-Testing Game

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Our newest RESTORE activity takes players out of the therapy gym and into the blue skies above…at least virtually! You will facilitate greater engagement while supporting residents as they practice to improve their reaction time

To play Take Flight, patients navigate their plane side to side or up and down through the obstacles on the screen! The speed continues to increase until the player either (1) crashes their plane 🔥 or (2) manually ends the game. Keep track to see who can get the highest score!

Why Play?

Each of our games is designed to increase skill practice while improving function and Take Flight is no exception! Add this game to a player’s session to:

  • Improve reaction & response time
  • Increase stability & standing tolerance
  • Target visual perceptual & scanning skills
  • Maintain required proper postural alignment to increase endurance & independence with tasks by strengthening the upper extremities. 

This game is ideal for concurrent or group therapy settings! Want to see who can clear the most obstacles? Improve patient socialization skills with a little friendly competition by encouraging 2 or more residents to play at the same time. Motivate skill practice and track user’s daily progress by adding Take Flight to your next session.

Follow the RESTORE blog for updates on industry news, PDPM, platform upgrades, new game announcements, user experience, and much much more! To schedule an obligation free demonstration of our on-demand therapy platform with our team, please contact us at info@restoreskills.com or call (234) 303-0723. We look forward to supporting your goals!

More Opportunities for Practice!

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Because we know that providing unique opportunities for repeated skill practice in a fun, positive environment improves mood and function, we added *three (3) more games* to the RESTORE platform. More games = more opportunities for meaningful skill-building & practice! 

What’s New?

Each of the following games can be used to target an array of skills, in a variety of positions for the just-right-fit!

BREAK THE ICE

Break all of the ice bricks! In this game, the player moves a paddle left and right along the bottom of the screen. Break all the blocks on the screen by bouncing the ball off the paddle. If the ball falls off the bottom of the screen, you lose a life. Some bricks release power-ups when broken - make sure you catch them and use them to break more ice! Skills: This game aims to improve accuracy, awareness, stability, motor regulation, planning, and midline crossing. Use two controllers to focus on bilateral coordination.  

  • Play with one or two controllers (attached or separated).
  • Recommended playing with a controller attached to the hand, head, chest or finger.
  • Change the range of motion based on the amount of movement desired for the player.

LADYBUGS

Control the bridge/s over the water to line up to the ladybugs to help them cross the river. Don’t let the fly’s cross! Stars and hearts are bonuses! Skills: This game aims to improve accuracy, efficiency, and attention. Ideal for targeting motor control and inhibition. Use two controllers to focus on bilateral coordination.

  • It can be played with 1 or 2 controllers (attached or separated).
  • Recommended playing with controllers attached to hands, knees or chest. Use weights and tilt camera up to work on shoulder press motion.
  • Attach to knee/s to work on weight shifting and balance. Attach to the chest and have the player step up and down on a step or into a squat position to reach the top and bottom of the river.
  • See the settings below for the specific skills/areas you can target including vertical and horizontal movement (Movement direction), visual tracking starting on the right, left or both sides (Bugs Appear From) and the number of bridges to control vertically (Number of Rivers to Cross).

SPACEBOARD

Help the surfer move to avoid hitting obstacles in their path. Play with one controller and move your body up, down, and side to side to collect coins and avoid obstacles. Skills: Ideal for improving balance, range-of-motion, and motor planning & timing.  

  • Play with one controller.
  • Recommended playing with controllers attached to hands, knees or chest
  • Tilt camera up to target lower extremities.
  • Incorporate a “real “ space board for your patient to stand on when playing, using a step or stool.

Add one or all of these games to a player’s session to encourage practice and track player’s daily progress! Don't have access to the platform? No problem, give us a call or email us! 

Follow the RESTORE blog for updates on industry news, PDPM, platform upgrades, new game announcements, user experience, and much much more! To schedule an obligation free demonstration of our on-demand therapy platform with our team, please contact us at info@restoreskills.com or call (234) 303-0723. We look forward to supporting your goals!

Sequencing Activities of Daily Living

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The ability to perform Activities of Daily Living is dependent upon cognitive, motor, and perceptual skills. There is also the critical distinction of a patient's ability to complete a task (physical and cognitive ability) versus the ability to recognize the job that needs to be done without prompting (cognitive ability). Each ADL and IADL involves a series of steps that are performed together in a specific sequence, without first mastering the proper sequence, it’s hard to complete these tasks correctly. As such, to accelerate practice and help patients establish an understanding of ADLs, we've created the game Sequence It!

Why Play?

  • Target & evaluate motor planning skills
  • Maintain required proper postural alignment to increase endurance & strengthen upper extremities.
  • Improve working memory skills

GAME UPDATE! 

We love receiving feedback from our users about the game, along with their ideas for which sequencing activities to include next.

Based on our suggestions, we've added a new task for your patients to practice. The latest Sequence It! the job, Making Dinner - Soup, asks players to select the correct sequence of events using the six cards on the screen.  As you can see, the player will correctly order the six (6) actions listed in the cards: (1) open can; (2) put the soup in pan; (3) warm on the stove; (4) serve; (5) eat with a spoon; (6) clean up!

We all know the saying, “don’t put your shoes on before your socks”...

Well, how about the correct sequence for grocery shopping, brushing your teeth, or making a doctor’s appointment? A highly useful strategy to guide patients in the sequential performance of ADLs and IADLs includes breaking down the task into smaller steps.  Sequence It! is designed to help your patients (and you) work through everyday daily tasks while further developing motor skills, planning, comprehension, reasoning.

Sequence It! features three different tasks to choose from grocery shopping, making a doctor’s appointment, and brushing your teeth, allowing players can practice these skills and monitor their daily progress in a fun and engaging environment.  Players need to select the correct sequence of events using the 4-5 images and words on the screen.

Adding this game to your players' sessions will promote the understanding of sequencing activities and encourage confidence when practicing ADLs. So, put away your box of flash cards, grab a red, green, or blue object & add Sequence It! to your patient's next session.

Follow the RESTORE blog for updates on industry news, PDPM, platform upgrades, new game announcements, user experience, and much much more! To schedule a obligation free demonstration of our on-demand therapy platform with our team, please contact us at info@restoreskills.com or call (330) 968-2879. We look forward to supporting your goals!

 

 

 

Mo Money, Less Problems

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Who doesn’t like money?! Our guess is no one! And while money doesn’t grow on trees, you’ll find no shortage of the green stuff in our newest game Money Mania!  Our newest game requires players to complete a variety of rehab-driven tasks involving money ranging from the basic matching of bills to the collecting bills in order to reach a specified amount. Each activity has 4 levels that increase with difficulty as they are played through. To select a bill, players use the hand to hover over the bill of their choice.

  • Matching: Collect all of the bills that match the requested one in the instructions
  • Sequencing: Collect the bills and arrange them in ascending value. Check your answer or use "reset" to start over
  • Totaling: Collect the bill/s that total closest to the dollar up cost of the given amount

Like most of our games, Money Mania! allows players to practice both cognitive and motor skills. As they work through the various tasks involving money - encourage your patients to play with one or two hands together while sitting to expand the range of motion, strengthen their upper extremities, or cross the mid-line. Players can also practice standing, with or without support, to target balance and endurance.

How will you incorporate Money Mania! into your player's next therapy session? Let us know in the comments!

Follow the RESTORE blog for updates on industry news, PDPM, platform upgrades, new game announcements, user experience, and much much more! To schedule an obligation free demonstration of our on-demand therapy platform with our team, please contact us at info@restoreskills.com or call (234) 303-0723. We look forward to supporting your goals!

 

Gone Fishin’

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Grab your fishing pole and dive into RESTORE with our recently added game, Fish Spell! This activity gives players the oppor-tuna-ty to target both cognitive and motor skills as they simply “catch” fish in order to correctly spell a given word or complete a pattern.

Using a red, green, or blue object, hover the target over the fish displaying the correct letter until it fills up.  Be sure to catch all the fish in the correct order to complete open the treasure chest on the ocean floor. Adjust the settings to match shapes or colors instead.  Hold your hand over the snail to hear the word repeated. Play this activity in a variety of positions to strengthen the foundational skills necessary for self-care activities.

Fish Spell aims to further develop the following skills:

  • Cognitive Skills
    • Spelling
    • Planning
    • Matching Patterns
  • Mid-line Crossing
  • Bilateral Coordination
  • Range of Motion

Follow the RESTORE blog for updates on industry news, PDPM, platform upgrades, new game announcements, user experience, and much much more! To schedule an obligation free demonstration of our on-demand therapy platform with our team, please contact us at info@restoreskills.com or call (234) 303-0723. We look forward to supporting your goals!