Tag Archives: skill practice

Celebrating The New RESTORE Platform

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The date above doesn’t just stand out because it’s made of all 2s, it’s also a significant date for the RESTORE-Skills community. On 2.2.22 we launched our new RESTORE platform. We want to thank our users, players and internal team for providing valuable feedback. Our development team took that feedback, set to work, and boy did they deliver! We have received such positive comments about the new benefits and new games.

So, what does one do when they launch a new platform, which changes skill building, patient care and so much more? Why celebrate, of course! Our CEO, Eran Arden wanted all of us to celebrate together, so he sent chocolates to RESTORE users and team members. All great celebrations include chocolate!

We are so thankful for everyone in our RESTORE community and we look forward to much more growth in the years to come. Thank you for showing up every day and changes lives for the better. We appreciate you!

The RESTORE-Skills Team

Grocery Grab

New Game: Grocery Grab

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The RESTORE-Skills market is open!

Now your patients and residents can practice food shopping with our newest game, Grocery Grab while improving their motor, cognitive, and communication skills. Talk about the perfect recipe for life readiness & cognitive skill-building.

Game Icon for new game Grocery Grab"

Use the grocery item list to begin your shopping experience in our market. Move your controller over the desired stands (Dairy, Produce, Bakery, etc.) in order to see the stocked shelves and locate your items. Hover over the item to pick it up and place it in your cart. After you've collected all items, head to the Checkout. Place your items on the counter to ring them up, then place them in the cart to bag. Finally, players will pay by selecting the most appropriate dollar amount from the options provided.

Players will have a great time putting the FUN in function while improving their motor, cognitive, and communication skills:

  • Life Skills: Money management, shopping, community reintegration
  • Cognitive Skills: Attention, concentration, memory, problem-solving, decision-making
  • Motor Skills: Visual scanning, eye-hand coordination, range of motion, and activity tolerance

Not yet a user? Contact us to schedule a live demo for your team and learn more about our subscriptions.

group and concurrent

Q&A: Group and Concurrent

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Question: 

How can we use RESTORE in the delivery of group and concurrent therapy?

Answer:

Great question. To start we have to understand the difference between group and concurrent therapy:

  • Group Therapy - One therapist/asst. providing treatment of 2-6 patients performing similar functional skill activities that are part of their plans of care regardless of payor source.
  • Concurrent Therapy - One therapist/assist. providing treatment to 2 patients simultaneously, who are performing different functional skill activities (per payor guidelines).

Next, let’s look at some of the potential benefits of these deliveries of care approaches:

  • Socialization - helps mitigate the risks of isolation/loneliness and promotes social interaction skills.
  • Patterning of Behavior - promotes the ability to learn from others. Players of similar or different functional ability levels can benefit from observing/demonstrating how to perform an activity that helps to improve their own performance outcomes.
  • Cooperation - the ability to work together towards a common goal can be rewarding and motivating. By working together, players can achieve outcomes they may never have realized individually.
  • Competition - many players are motivated by competition. They may in fact participate longer, move more, and engage more when there is an opportunity for a winning outcome.
  • FUN - the most important benefit is that skill-building with others is more enjoyable than skill-building alone. 

concurrent therapy

 

RESTORE can be used in support of both group and concurrent therapy

Progress can be accelerated by combining socialization, patterning of behavior, and functional skill-building with immersive, interactive content (preferably person-centered based on the expressed interests of each player). Let’s consider the following:

  • 2-6 patients (players) who share a common interest, such as casino gaming, and have therapy plan of care goals to increase activity tolerance (sitting or standing), upper extremity range of motion, coordination, and sustained attention would enjoy participating in a Jackpot, Plinko, or Bingo competition. Players can be in the same room and remain socially distanced while set up with a device with a webcam (laptop, tablet, iPad) and simultaneously address functional skills while performing a friendly competition or just trying to achieve personal bests. Players are able to encourage one another through social interaction, while additionally patterning behavior from other players to help them better achieve their personal desired skill-building outcomes.
  • 2 players who may or may not share a common interest can each be set up with a device and the therapist can facilitate concurrent activities addressing desired functional skill-building with both players. A therapist may also choose to have both players participating on the same screen at the same time while working on different functional skills. For example, one player may be pulling the handle of a slot machine on the right side with his/her upper extremity while sitting and a second player may be pulling the handle on the opposite side of the slot machine with a squat or lower extremity while standing. Although the enjoyment of the same game is appreciated, each player is working on distinctly different functional skills concurrently.

Set up & selection options for the delivery of group and concurrent therapy

  • Group Play
    • Scoring is recorded on a leaderboard. Players can attempt to beat their personal best score and even make their mark on the All-Time Leaderboard
    • 2 Players - Cooperative
      • Best for grouping two players playing at the same time on the same screen requiring similar functional skill-building
      • Concurrent consideration in this mode is to have 2 players on the same screen at the same time requiring different functional skill-building
    • 2 Players - Taking Turns
      • Best for grouping two players, taking turns to encourage each other, pattern behavior, and facilitate competitive motivation
    • More than 2 Players - Taking Turns
      • Best for grouping more than two players, taking turns to encourage each other, pattern behavior, and facilitate competitive motivation 
  • RESTORE Together
    • Players from different devices compete in the same game, same setting competition to see who can achieve the top score.
    • Private Game
      • Best for facilitating a group of 2 or more players in the same location on different devices who desire to experience interactive game play. Players compete with our default settings in a competition where players are able to see their place (who is in first, second, third, etc.) and scoring outcomes in real time
      • A therapist will create a private game on one device and assist players on different devices to access the private game via a unique code that is entered at app.restoreskills.com/together 
  • Single Game
    • Best for group treatment with the therapist providing each player a device and:
        • Addressing the same functional skill-building with different games or individualized settings for the same games
    • Best for concurrent treatment with the therapist providing each player a device and:
        • Addressing different functional skill-building with different games or the same game but working on a different functional skill
  • Tournament Play
    • This is created by the RESTORE team upon request. Play can be enhanced with the creation of a "same game" tournament or multi-game Olympic event-style competition. Events can occur within one location or across multiple locations simultaneously. An event can be created as a single day or multi-day event.

When players (patients) are having fun and engaged they focus less on targeted skills and more on the game. They have less anxiety or frustration when able to experience success, learn from one another, and feel a sense of accomplishment. Therapists are able to appropriately incorporate functional skill-building groups or concurrent treatment using RESTORE for more effective and efficient outcomes.

 

group_together

neuro rehab

Q&A: Neuro-Rehab

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May is Better Hearing & Speech Month & we're proud to support our dedicated therapist users. On a recent customer success support call, a speech-language pathologist asked if we could provide a marketing summary of the benefits of RESTORE when working with neuro-rehab patients.

How RESTORE can help clinicians accelerate and optimize outcomes with stroke and brain injury patients:

RESTORE-Skills’ therapeutic gamification platform comprehensively supports clinicians by targeting the functional deficits and underlying neurological impairments most commonly presented by stroke and brain injury patients. Using a laptop or mobile device, therapists can quickly access and customize over 200 games and activities targeting the physical, cognitive, and life-readiness skills necessary to accelerate and optimize clinical outcomes.

Patients move more, stand longer, and refuse treatment less by combining skill-building with fun activities based on their personal interests such as skiing in a world-cup race, pulling a slot machine handle, flying a plane, or practicing their medication management. Every game has settings that can be adjusted to ensure the player can experience success, even if it’s their first time video gaming. A patient’s family members and friends can be invited to remotely join a therapy session via a user-friendly, video-conferencing experience to see their loved one, offer encouragement, and add motivation by playing along all from the safety of their own home.

neuro rehab

 

 

"I feel the games have helped me to improve the movement and coordination in my arm. I'm right-handed so it's important I regain as much as I can to get back to what I used to do. My favorite game is Plinko.  I use my left hand to support my right arm in getting the chips to the top of the board. We had a tournament last week and I actually got the best score on one of the days. It was a lot of fun!"

 

Video games are most successful when they are easy to access, easy to learn, and easy to use.

The game must also be gradable, or adaptable to an individual’s ability. The more relatable and meaningful the games are to the individual, the more the patient is excited to use the program.  When players (patients) are having fun & engaged they focus less on targeted skills and more on the game. RESTORE-Skills makes rehabilitation more fun, stretching patients’ abilities playfully and diverting their attention away from discomfort, anxiety, or frustration.

 

Q&A: Player Dignity

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Question: 

We love the RESTORE technology; however, one concern we have is that many of the games appear “child-like” and we worry about this from a dignity standpoint with our senior population. Have you had anyone else with this concern?  Any insight is appreciated. 

 

Answer: 

Thank you for the feedback and important question. 

Our platform takes into consideration that the majority of skilled nursing residents have a degree of cognitive impairment (in addition to any physical limitations). From my OT and Dementia Capable Care background, we have applied the theory of retrogenesis (back to birth) to our platform. That is not to say treat adults like children, but to appreciate that their developmental ability levels have regressed to the chronological age of 4-16 years old. It is important to keep simplistic themes, actions, and graphics for our population and to be able to grade the games based on the degree of difficulty settings.

 

RESTORE Player Testimonial

The most important key is to ensure an individual is able to experience success. We do not receive concerns related to graphics when the therapists and care partners have ensured the player meets with success and not frustration. Since many have not played these types of games before, the hesitancy is more related to anxiety that they will not perform well and therefore may remark that it is stupid or for kids, but this is typically a defense mechanism.

Video games are the most popular consumed media today and have officially overtaken the sport and movie industries in 2021. We are talking about games like Candy Crush, Mario Kart, Bubble Pop, etc. I'm currently addicted to a Harry Potter Match 3 game (and not even a huge Harry Potter fan lol). If you love games and you love competition, the graphics/animations are secondary to your success and FUN!

 

 

WREG News Live at 9

NEWS: RESTORE-Skills featured on WREG News Live at 9

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RESTORE-Skills' CEO, Eran Arden, spoke with Jerrita Patterson on WREG News' Live at 9 about connecting seniors & their loved ones.

Patterson: More and more senior citizens are really lining up to get coronavirus vaccines across the country. But for many in nursing homes, the pandemic continues to keep them isolated from both family and friends. Now, a new platform is changing the way loved ones can interact all while staying safely apart. This morning, we're live with the CEO of RESTORE-Skills, Eran Arden, to learn more about RESTORE-Together.

Patterson: Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is a motivational therapy platform, correct? Explain what this is about.

Arden: Jerrita, thank you very much! Yeah, you are correct. RESTORE-Skills is a gaming enviornment that motivates residents in nursing homes to continue building and matain the skills they need to live independetly. We use a simple computer, so no expensive devices needed, and we have about 200 activities all designed to motivate the patients to stay active. [They can] work on their sit to stand skills, motor skills, range of motion and everything in between all while playing games.

Arden: When the pandemic started, we also realized we also want to help connect family members to their loved ones in the facilities. So, we created an enviornment where residents that are isolated [in their room] can play with their loved ones [who are] at home.

Patterson: What has been the reaction from those in nursing homes? What have you heard? What have you seen so far?

Arden: The reaction is amazing and that's what empowers us to wake up in the morning and develop the [platform] and our games.

Check out the full interview on WREG News' Live at 9 Facebook page HERE!

Spectrum 1 News Ohio

NEWS: RESTORE-Skills featured on Spectrum 1 News Ohio

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Below is an excerpt from the story from Spectrum 1 News Ohio:

CLEVELAND — Elizabeth Sims and her caregiver admit that since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, things haven’t been the same at The Heights Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Broadview Heights. Pandemic restrictions have cut out communal dining, team exercise and group therapy at facility.

“Before, we used to be able to be down in the therapy gym. So, it would be fun because they're all around people; you could play games and now, you're really stuck in the rooms with the patients,” Sims says.

Things have taken a turn for the better at the facility. Residents started connecting virtually through RESTORE-Skills, a computer based motivational therapy platform with a multiplayer function that now allows patients the ability to play skill-building games with one another.

“At least they can interact and you're using technology and they can still get involved and do some kind of fun…and it helps her cognitive skills.”  Tina Wilson’s caregiver says.

Check out the full interview with our CEO, Eran Arden, and the team from The Heights HERE!

We RESTORE-Skills TOGETHER

Q&A: RESTORE-Together

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Question: 

Tell me more about RESTORE-Together and it’s benefits? What is the difference between a live game and a private game?

Answer:

We are very excited to be able to introduce RESTORE-Together, which for the first time allows patients/players to play interactively with their loved ones, other patients/residents in their center, and/or with other players across the country - all from the safety of their rooms or in a socially distanced setting. Our primary motivation was to advocate for older adults, vulnerable to the risks of social isolation, by providing access to a virtual community of skill-builders.

Benefits:

  • Helps mitigate the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial risks of isolation by connecting patients/residents with others they know and love
  • Fosters a sense of community to have patients, therapists, and care partners interacting in a similar skill-building fashion with their peers nationwide
  • Increases fun, engagement, and motivation to accelerate outcomes and provide a better patient experience

Live games:

  • The ability to join a desired game with others is always open and does not require a code
  • A player joins, enters a player name/identifier, indicates readiness, and waits a short time (often less than 1 minute) to see other players that join the competition
  • Players will always know the score in head-to-head games or where they rank in tournament-style games

Private games: 

  • Allow a user to send a code to designated participants who can join the action by visiting the website restoreskills.com/together, entering the code, and following the instructions
  • Adds motivation for the player as he/she will be interacting with family members, friends, or peers that they have expressed an interest in joining a fun and competitive RESTORE skill-building session
  • If an audio exchange is desired during the session, we recommend having a phone or video conference call
    • Note - we are working on a simple, emoji-based way to communicate within the game play if audio is not available or desired
    • Note - some video conferencing apps will need to have the camera turned off so that RESTORE has primary access to the camera
  • Players will always know the score in head-to-head games or where they rank in tournament-style games

Instructions for a player joining upon receiving a private game invite:

  • Open Google Chrome and go to: restoreskills.com/together
  • Secure the four (4) character code from the invitee and enter it in the text box
  • Click “Join” to enter the private game
  • If prompted, select “allow” to enable camera access
  • Have a red, green, or blue rounded object available for play (i.e., ball, apple, container lid, cup, etc.)
  • When prompted, use your mouse to select the color of your rounded object 
  • To calibrate, bring your controller to the center of the square, making sure the camera can clearly see the color of the object

 

  • Enter your name or identifier in the text box and click ‘save’

 

  • Click the ‘Ready’ button. When all players are ready, the game will start after a 20 second countdown 

When players (patients) are having fun and engaged they focus less on targeted skills and more on the game. Fostering a sense of community by connecting with others will help mitigate the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial risks of isolation.

abc7 San Francisco

NEWS: RESTORE-Skills featured on ABC7 San Francisco

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Below is an excerpt from the story from ABC7 News San Francisco:

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Health is an important aspect of Building a Better Bay Area.

As patients at care facilities are dealing with prolonged social isolation with visits from families curtailed or not allowed, caregivers are turning to multi-player skill games to improve patient outcomes.

Bingo has always been a popular way to engage patients in care facilities to use their minds, hands, and arms. COVID-19 has not only stopped that, but also visits from loved ones.
"If we don't have friends and peers to work with, then you know, then we, unfortunately, don't have the motivation to practice and to live longer," said Eran Arden, CEO at Restore Skills. RESTORE-Skills is a cloud-based platform with a library of 50 games that occupational therapists can use for rehabilitation and skills development.
51-year-old Mike Willham has multiple sclerosis. Moving a ball in his hand to play a slot machine game is more than just having fun at winning jackpots. "It allows me to move my left arm from side to side and up and down. And it has built up strength in the left arm," said Willham as he made those moves. An up and down motion with the ball caused the arm on the slot machine to activate."
It's helping with cognition, it helps with fine motor, gross motor coordination, strengthening," said Carrie Blum, an occupational therapy assistant at The Heights Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center. "It's been helping with their endurance and activity tolerance."

Check out the full interview with our CEO, Eran Arden, and the team from The Heights HERE!

Falls Prevention

Q&A: Falls Prevention

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Question: 

How can we utilize RESTORE with our patients in support of falls prevention?

Answer:

Great question. To start we have to consider the physical and cognitive components required for a comprehensive falls prevention approach:

  • Core and lower body strengthening (squats, lunges, etc.) to improve center of gravity control, stability to support sitting and standing
  • Static and dynamic sitting and standing balance (no reaching, single extremity reach, bilateral hands-free isolated and integrated movement patterns)
  • Weight-shifting, lateral mobility, forward/backward mobility
  • Activity tolerance for posture, movement required for completion of self-care, leisure skills, home and community management
  • Sustained attention, concentration, visual scanning, sequencing, safety awareness, decision making, following commands/direction 

RESTORE can be used in support of each component. Progress can be accelerated by combining functional skill-building with immersive, interactive content (preferably person-centered based on the expressed interests of the player). Let’s consider the following:

 

  • Game controllers calibrate to most red, green, blue objects. 

 

  • If working on functional reaching, select objects appropriate to maintain grasp/hand control or optimized for patients with only gross motor extremity control 
  • The calibrated controller for mobility should optimally have a center of the body placement (between chest and abdomen) so the player can maintain hands-free (especially if in need of assistive device)
  • Use the controller/camera view box (camera or white box in the lower right portion of the screen which tracks controller connection) to assist with patient positioning based on desired movement patterns

    •  

    • Game settings and webcam settings can be graded based on the current physical and cognitive abilities of your player:

     

    • Backgrounds can be adjusted for greater contrast or to simplify visual display
    • Speeds and difficulty can be ranged from easiest to most difficult
    • Music and effects can be varied for appropriate encouragement and engagement
    • Range of motion capture can be reduced for players with limitations or expanded for those with full range capabilities
      • Best for games challenging a combination of up/down, left/right, and diagonal movement patterns
      • Best for games challenging a combination of up/down and left/right movement patterns
      • Best for game challenging left/right movement patterns in sitting, and left/right, forward/backward movement patterns in standing
    • Webcam setting options
    • Full, medium, small screen capture
    • Large, medium, small circular capture (narrows capture from square to circular configuration) 
    • Large, medium, small semi-circular capture (maintains top screen circular capture, but removes bottom screen circular capture requirement

     

    Demonstrate intended movements and explain why they are critical components to limiting or preventing falls

    • Patients are often fearful of falling. Having the ability to pattern their movements after seeing the therapist in action, can instill greater understanding and confidence 

     

    • Determine which skill areas you plan to target and match the game(s) with your plan. A few to consider with default game duration:

     

    • Ski Saga (default is 3 minutes). Players can control a skier in a race by stepping/shifting left/right and squatting, or up/down, left/right upper extremity movements to avoid obstacles, slalom between flags, and obtain coins and gems. Bonus points awarded after 10+ successful obstacle navigations
    • Ancient Temple (no set time limit). Players use both hands, sitting or standing, in an alternating up/down movement pattern to simulate rock climbing, with various integrated movement patterns included to challenge this treasure hunt adventure 
    • Spooky Spiders (default 3 minutes). Players utilize a dynamic, upper extremity or mobility, range to shoo away spiders of all sizes dropping/climbing vertically while watching out for a chance to knock a witch off her broom flying horizontally across the screen 
    • Bounce It (default 2 minutes). Players align with a silhouette, sitting or standing,  and can use their knees, feet in an upward motion to connect and juggle a soccer ball.

     

    When players (patients) are having fun and engaged they focus less on targeted skills and more on the game. They have less anxiety or frustration overcoming gravity and a fear of falling, when not focused on that fear every second. When a player demonstrates appropriate control, sustained action, adequate activity tolerance, and desired cognitive function that is when it is most beneficial to follow up a RESTORE session with a functional activity as they will now have the confidence to complete successfully.