Introducing RESTORE-Together: A better way to virtually connect to patients

Posted on May 18, 2020November 19, 2021 by Amanda Capone

When we launched RESTORE Skills, never did we imagine that therapy gyms would close for months at a time and skilled nursing facility patients would be isolated in their rooms. Now that COVID-19 has made this a reality, with no foreseeable end in sight, we at RESTORE Skills are seeing just how transformative our tool is for providing therapy to seniors now more than ever.

Clients are using our gamified software to turn every patient room into a therapy gym
RESTORE-Together offers the ability to invite family members to virtually join therapy sessions with the click of a button

New communication tool in our technology

When we saw our clients setting up Zoom calls for residents and families, we quickly developed a new communication tool for our software. RESTORE-Together allows patients and therapists to invite family members to join therapy sessions right there within the games.

RESTORE-Together is helping skilled nursing patients connect with loved ones in a powerful new way. Videoconferences with seniors can be challenging for those who struggle with new technology, but RESTORE-Together is a therapy tool seniors and therapists already know how to use. The communication tool also allows families to connect with loved ones in cognitive and speech therapy in a meaningful way.

We developed RESTORE Skills as a skill-building tool for therapy gyms, where patients can show off their new skills, compete in therapy games against one another and cheer each other on. Each player can work on their own set of skills, within their personal range of motion, but the games themselves offer a sense of competition where patients celebrate and strive to outperform one another. Users only need our software and a webcam to use RESTORE Skills anywhere, so it has always been a significant bonus that patients can continue building therapy skills on their own at home.

Now with RESTORE-Together, the audience patients enjoyed in the therapy gyms is back. Only this time, the audience is made up of loved ones.

Turns out we started getting RESTORE Skills into long term care facilities just in time.

Our tool supports challenges facilities are facing right now.

Skilled nursing facilities are struggling with staff shortages
Patients no longer have visitors
Activity directors have limited options for keeping seniors social and engaged
Therapists are having to provide therapy within patient rooms
Skilled nursing staff are now also the IT experts, connecting residents with families over video conferences.

We at RESTORE Skills are helping SNFs meet all of these challenges. We’re working harder than ever to get RESTORE Skills into as many skilled nursing facilities as possible. Therapy and positive outcomes for our seniors in these facilities depend on it.

Click here to schedule a demo and find out how RESTORE-Skills can help your facility meet therapy needs during COVID-19.

Celebrating Nurses by Improving Patient Outcomes

Posted on May 6, 2020May 6, 2020 by ERAN ARDEN

On this day and every day, all of us at RESTORE-Skills honor nurses as the healthcare heroes that they are. I see firsthand in our work with senior care facilities the demands placed on nurses. They are always on the frontlines of every patients’ battle for the best outcome possible. Perhaps during no time since World War II has this been more apparent than in the middle of our current global pandemic of COVID-19.

This National Nurses Day my team and I are celebrating long term care nurses by improving therapy outcomes for their patients.

I’ve seen firsthand that nurses in skilled nursing facilities are among the most dedicated in the field. They get to know patients in senior care facilities over a length of time and many consider the residents like family. It takes a special soul to nurse a patient back to health at a time when there are so many compounding issues that come with aging. Sometimes the job of the nurse is to simply hold a patients’ hands and provide comfort.

Other times, it’s the job of long term care nurses to motivate their patients to get up and get moving for therapy. While they are not the therapy providers, nurses and their assistants are key players in ensuring that patients are ready and in the best mindset possible for therapy sessions.

What if we made that part of nurses’ jobs a lot easier? And in the process, we improved the outcomes for patients these nurses have come to love?

My team and I are doing just that with RESTORE-Skills. Here’s how I am seeing our skilled nursing facility clients benefit from our therapy software tool:

Our award-winning gamification technology makes therapy fun and engaging so that patients actually ask to play.
Skilled nursing patients are actually playing therapy games right in their rooms during COVID-19 while therapy gyms are closed.
Every team member of skilled nursing facilities becomes a therapy skill building superstar with just a laptop and webcam.
Patients are staying busy, active and engaged while reaching therapy goals, breaking up these long days isolated in their rooms while eating meals by the door.

This National Nurses Day, we’re honoring these healthcare heroes by working to advance their quiet daily goal of improving each patient’s outcome. I believe in the power of this software to create positive therapy outcomes on a massive scale because we see it happen in our clients’ facilities every day. The time is now to give nurses and all dedicated employees in skilled nursing facilities a game-changing tool in their arsenal.

We want to get RESTORE Skills in the hands of every long term care facility possible. Click here to learn about our COVID-19 special offer.

An Interview with Skilled Nursing News

Posted on May 5, 2020May 6, 2020 by Amanda Capone

We're thrilled to be featured on Skilled Nursing News today. Aaryn Crosby of Adaptive Rehab Services and our CEO, Eran Arden sat down with Skilled Nursing News to discuss the impact of RESTORE-Skills on therapy services and the unforeseen benefits in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Below, is an excerpt from the article:

By “gamifying” therapy via a hardware-agnostic platform, some providers are finding not only much greater engagement among patients and residents receiving therapy, but also the unforeseen benefit of engaging non-therapy residents and their family members under social distancing protocols set under the COVID-19 pandemic.

Driving therapy engagement

As a third-party therapy provider in multiple settings including post-acute and long-term care facilities, Adaptive Rehabilitation Services set out in 2019 to find a platform that would improve patient participation and garner more engagement in therapy as well as to measure functional skills and progress. Further, Adaptive wanted a solution that did not require a hardware purchase to host the platform.

“There are a lot of products that require the user to have [a specific] device,” says Aaryn Crosby, Chief Operating Officer at Middleburg Heights, Ohio-based Adaptive Rehabilitation Services. “We were looking for something that can work on multiple systems and computers… something that could deliver functional room treatments. Many patients may not be able to come down or are nervous to come down to the gym.”

The company implemented RESTORE Skills in early 2020 and saw measured success in engagement. The platform, which can run on any web-enabled laptop with a display and a camera, provides a series of goal-oriented games that merge therapy with fun tasks that can be played with a single player or multiple players engaged on a single screen.

With games to present to residents and patients, therapy teams soon reported that those not previously participating were increasingly using the platform and we're seeing increased functional outcomes. They were practicing more and were resisting less, which led to improved progress overall.

“Having a truly fun and interactive therapy session versus a standard therapeutic exercise has increased engagement and mental well being by allowing patients to perform together and compete,” Crosby says.

An unforeseen benefit: the platform serves as an activity for non-therapy residents as well.

“We have had activity aides asking for us to train them on the program; residents’ roommates are telling them they want to try it out too,” he says.

Click here to read the full article. Interested in seeing gamification in action? Contact our team to schedule a demo and to learn how gamification can drive engagement and outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Get Residents Moving AND Smiling!

Posted on April 14, 2020May 6, 2020 by Amanda Capone

During the current COVID-19 outbreak, finding fun ways to keep residents moving and smiling can be a challenge. But, with just a laptop & a simple controller, you can have a dynamic therapy session anywhere!

An Innovative Option

Contrived treatment approaches, like puzzles, pegboards, or batting balloons, lack the element of FUN, which can limit someone's ability to reach their goals. However, gamifying therapeutic exercise can improve engagement and enjoyment. Our online games keep residents active and happy, in the gym or their room. In fact, one of my favorite stories came from a speech therapist who was a RESTORE Champion for her center. She won over a resident after he expressed that he didn't want to leave his room or participate in therapy. After talking with him, she brought in her laptop and played a video of someone using RESTORE. She explained the functionality of games, how to play, and gain agreement. In the end, they completed a fun AND meaningful 30-minute session in his room. The therapist thought out of the box and created an experience both they enjoyed. It was amazing to hear about!

Below are a few tips for how you can create a motivating and exciting therapy session right in the patient's room.

Become a RESTORE Rockstar: If you're not confident with RESTORE, it can become a barrier to patient engagement. Take a few minutes each day to explore the platform to learn the games & functionality.
Tap Into Your Inner Coach (And Cheerleader): Demonstrate the actions & tasks you want your patient to achieve and assure them you are there for support!
Share the Fun with a Family Member: For added support, loved ones can use teleconferencing to join Fun of the RESTORE session.

The RESTORE Difference

Whether you'd like to make activities more accessible or more challenging for your players, then the Settings button is full of fantastic customizability. Each game has unique settings options that you can adjust to meet the player's interests and needs. Our users are active in over 200 healthcare centers and nursing homes throughout the country. We've seen players of all cognitive and physical levels have fun, work towards their goals, and find success. A meaningful skill-building session can genuinely happen anywhere, anytime!

To get your residents moving and smiling now, click here & learn about our COVID-19 Special Offer!

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@:.com or call (330) 968-2879. We look forward to supporting your goals!

Skill-Building with Anything Red, Green, or Blue 🔴🟢🔵

Posted on April 10, 2020May 6, 2020 by Amanda Capone

Now, more than ever, health professionals and providers are turning to technology to support patients. Skill-building can happen anywhere, anytime, while having fun! We can support you in keeping patients active, happy, and healthy.

Part of what makes RESTORE so unique and adaptable is how we can turn any round red, green, or blue object into a game controller. Our innovative technology uses color-tracking so you can assist, support, guide, and play alongside your patients without interrupting their experience! All you need to get started are a few ball-shaped objects that are red, green, or blue. We recommend using objects like Play-Doh, gloves, cups, socks, or a loofa. Larger objects, like an exercise or medicine ball, work best for focusing on gross motor skills. Use something small, like a dry erase marker, to target fine-motor skills such as grip and grasp. You can also attach wrist/ankle weights to the player or calibrate free weights as a controller for added resistance & strength training. The tips should help you & your patients have an excellent experience:

Playing Tips & Tricks!

Get close, but not too close: Set the player 1 to 3-feet away from the camera. If playing with a larger object, try positioning them 4-6 feet away.
Endless Possibilities: Stickers, stress balls, free weights, or therabands! The sky’s the limit when it comes to finding objects in your gym/center that can be used to play RESTORE games.
Show the Camera What You’ve Got: When playing, the color of your object must be pronounced & visible to the camera at all times in order to track. Avoid turning down your wrist or covering controllers with your hands.

We love to hear from our users, so send us a picture of your players or team with their most unique controllers. We’re excited for your creativity to start flowing and for you to discover the unlimited potential of the objects you can track with RESTORE!

To start now, click here & learn about our COVID-19 Special Offer!

Engage Isolated Residents of All Levels

Posted on March 31, 2020March 31, 2020 by Amanda Capone

Engaging isolated residents with moderate to severe cognitive impairments during the current COVID-19 outbreak can be challenging. However, with just a laptop & a simple ball, you can have a fun and dynamic therapy session right at their bedside! RESTORE games can be enjoyed by players of any level. We find that therapists experience the most success when they match the game with the player’s history or hobbies. To help gain agreement and make your treatment approach meaningful, begin the RESTORE session with asking the player about their life and interests. Prioritize engagement, reminiscing, and communication over playing.

RESTORE is meant to be a compliment to your treatment session and not by itself there to treat your patient. One challenge you might encounter is that a goal-directed player understands the activity they are to perform, but may not want to participate for fear of failure. Therapists can quell this fear by grading activities/settings to player ability so they can succeed and be challenged. Below are some tips to help you successfully engage a player with moderate to severe cognitive impairment:

Playing Tips & Tricks!

Give strong consideration to your environment: Identify an environment with limited distractions based on noise, congestion/traffic, lighting, etc.
Take the Time: Allow extra time for player to respond to directions/commands
Distinguish between limitations: Don’t allow a player’s physical limitations to interfere with your assessment of their cognitive function

When playing your first session, to take time to see if the player can correct mistakes or improve after gaining understanding - but avoid the player getting discouraged or frustrated whenever possible! We hope this post encouraged you to try something new with your residents today. Our fun, engaging, and meaningful games are meant for everyone to enjoy, so open your laptop, grab a controller, and watch the magic of a RESTORE session unfold!

To start now, click here & learn about our COVID-19 Special Offer!

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!

Motivate Residents to be Active in Their Rooms!

Posted on March 27, 2020March 31, 2020 by Amanda Capone

Motivating resients isolated in their room can be a struggle. This fun upper body activity is a favorite among all of our players. Bring the excitement of the casino to your patient’s room to boost engagement AND practice UE strengthening! All you need is a laptop and a rounded object for the player to experience the fun of a virtual slot machine.

In the game "Jackpot", players pull the handle to try and win big! They can engage with the game while standing, seated, or even lying in their bed to target AROM, crossing midline, and functional reach. Below are some great tips to help you engage a player in the room with our #1 game "Jackpot"!

Playing Tips & Tricks!

Get the Most from the Capture Settings: Range of motion & camera capture options can be adjusted to a large, medium, or small semi-circle for players seated or lying in bed.
Increase the Challenge: Attach wrist weights to the player or calibrate free weights as a controller for added resistance & strength training!
Players Can Win...Really! If a player pulls a rare "Triple WILD" jackpot, let us know, and we'll send them RESTORE a t-shirt.

With more therapy sessions happening in the room, motivate residents and offer a distraction from environmental barriers and psychosocial factors. Play "Jackpot" with a resident to help them forget about their discomfort, loneliness, or anxiety. We hope you’ll follow these tips for an exciting and innovative therapy session.

To start now, click here & learn about our COVID-19 Special Offer!

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!

Spread the RESTORE Love!

Posted on February 4, 2020February 28, 2020 by Amanda Capone

We love bringing you seasonal versions of your favorite games to help boost patient experience! This month, we have two Valentine’s themed games Slots of Love and Cupid’s Arrow. Therapists, Care Partners, and players will fall head-over-heels for these fun and vibrant activities!

Slots of Love

We know players love the virtual slot machine, making it a favorite game year-round. In the themed-game Slots of Love, players will pull the lever to collect three (3) matching Valentine’s items! A perfect activity for patients working on activity tolerance or UE range of motion. When asked why it was their favorite, one player said, "I have to really concentrate on it. It makes me change hands too. It's a great, fun game. I love it!" Reminder: If a player pulls a rare "Triple WILD" jackpot, let us know, and we'll send them a special gift!

Cupid’s Arrow

Help Cupid make a love connection by playing our Valentine’s game Cupid’s Arrow. Using your controller with one hand (small controller) or both hands (larger controller), focus Cupid’s bow on a couple to strike them with love! 💗 Make sure to aim for the center of the couple to release the arrow. A great game for those players working on reaching, crossing the midline, or targeting balance.

Looking for new ways to engage your residents this Valentine’s Day?! Here are a few tips for your next event:

Make use of the abundance of red decorations hanging around your center and use a paper heart or another fun item as a controller during a special Love Day session. If the player is wearing red, however, be sure to use contrasting colors to play!
Set up a special partnered session of Cupid’s Arrow and have them work together to strike the couples on screen with an arrow.
Organize a Valentine's-themed competition to see who can get the highest score in Slots of Love during a group therapy session.
Award your top players or group therapy participants with candy, flowers, or homemade cards!

We can’t wait to see all the ways you use these games to boost the patient experience and get them moving (and loving it!)

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!

Who is a Good Candidate for RESTORE?

Posted on January 6, 2020February 25, 2020 by Amanda Capone

When first starting RESTORE people often ask "who's a good candidate?" or "who can play?" We want residents of all levels to play our games, move more, and have fun! If you can successfully facilitate the session, you can play with anyone. So in this post, you'll learn who can benefit from playing and get tips on how to get started. We'll also look at examples of how others are incorporating RESTORE into their routines.

Play More, Reach for More, Achieve More

The most important thing to know before setting a patient in front of RESTORE is what skills you will target. Our therapeutic activities focus on the following skills areas:

Mobility - balance, weight shifting, sit to stand, lateral, forward/backward, dynamic
Upper/Lower Extremity - ROM, coordination, isolated/integrated movements, activity tolerance
Cognition - attention, concentration, memory, problem-solving, judgment, sequencing, decision making, following directions

When you first introduce the platform to your patients, begin by explaining how the tech works and how playing can help them achieve goals in a fun yet beneficial way. Then discuss the skills to be addressed and help the player choose a game and an object to use as a controller. Regardless of the goal, players will stay engaged in therapeutic activities longer and have fun!

Who Can Play?

Our platform is accessible and adaptable. With a simple object and a webcam, residents can interact with games in any position: standing at parallel bars, seated at a desk or in a wheelchair, supported by a walker or therapist, or lying in bed. The following stories are great examples of the different types of players who've succeeded with RESTORE!

Long Term Patients

First is the story of a patient we'll call 'Sarah' who was recovering from carotid surgery when she first played. During her initial session, the therapist had 'Sarah' play the game Ski Saga to work her range of motion. She started by using her right arm to reach outside the base of support in seated and standing positions. Next, she played the time using her full body. With assistance from her therapist, 'Sarah' shifted from side to side and squatted for the bridges on screen. Even though she hit almost every obstacle, with the skier yelling "oomph" each time, 'Sarah' was cracking up! Her friends were visiting during therapy, and they were all laughing together. When 'Sarah' sat down, she was short of breath from the session. We asked what she thought, and she responded, "That was tough and made me work hard! I almost said the "f" word!"

At a different center, the recreation team often brings long term residents to the gym to play RESTORE games. One of their patients, Tina, enjoys playing the game Jackpot to work on her active range of motion, crossing midline, and functional reach. Every time we played and scored the jackpot, she got so excited and yelled out her winnings to everyone in the gym. As Jen, the center's Recreation Assistant, shared, "the residents caught on fast and were remembering fun times in Atlantic City. So, we weren't only exercising but playing and reminiscing too!"

Short Term Patients

One of the most enthusiastic players we met was Tamie in Cleveland, Ohio. Tamie was a short-term patient who recently had surgery on a torn rotator cuff in her right shoulder. Her OT, Liz, knew Tami was a great candidate and explained how RESTORE can help her have fun while she develops her skills! Liz was working with Tamie to increase her range of motion and activity tolerance so that she can soon independently manage dressing, bathing, and other self-care needs. Tamie played the game Ancient Temple using both arms to reach the top! When we asked her what she thought of playing, she said, "I forgot about the pain, I forgot everything! I forgot that this was therapy. It allowed me more mobility & I had fun."

Elsewhere therapists set up a mobile platform in front of a patient while she was sitting on a mat. They asked her favorite color and placed a green RESTORE controller (ball) in her right hand. She played games to challenge her core control and dynamic sitting balance while working on functional reaching with the right UE. The player had the most beautiful smile and felt empowered being in control of her movements while interacting with the games. The session ended up being 45 minutes, although the patient didn't want to stop! She stayed engaged the entire time, and it was clear this was the best she had ever performed. The multiple skill goals of the session were realized, thus accelerating her outcomes.

The RESTORE Difference

Each of these players went into their session not knowing what to expect but they left feeling excited and accomplished. Because when patients smile, laugh, and have fun, they push harder, practice longer, and move more. In this post, we learned who's the right candidate for RESTORE, reviewed practical tips to get started, and saw the magic of therapeutic gamification in each story. We can't wait to see how you create a better day for your patients!

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!

Tis’ the Season for Gamified FUN!

Posted on December 16, 2019December 17, 2019 by restoreskills

Are you looking for a fun way to warm up the residents at your next holiday event? Look no further! To celebrate the most wonderful time of the year, we’re launching holiday renditions of your favorite games. Time to serve up some cocoa, put on some music and spread cheer with a RESTORE Holiday party. Below, you’ll learn all about the three (3) seasonal games launched this week, along with tips for best use. Be sure to log in and play before the holiday magic is gone!

Elf on the Slope

Elves are so busy running around for Santa in the days leading up to Christmas. In this game, patients navigate through candy cane arches and collect presents for Christmas. See who can receive the most gifts with the Elf on the Slope today! This is an excellent game for players working on lateral mobility as they’ll practice weight shifting, balancing, and squatting. When asked what her favorite game is one patient said, “I loved the skiing game! I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it. I was surprised when I was good at it. I’m going to tell my sister I skied in therapy today!”

Holly Jolly Slots

Embrace the excitement of the holidays with Holly Jolly Slots. Players will pull the slots to collect three (3) matching Hanukkah or Christmas items to win the round! A perfect activity for patients working on activity tolerance or UE range of motion and players love engaging with the virtual slot machine! When asked why it was their favorite, one player said, “I have to concentrate on it. It makes me change hands too. It’s a great fun game. I love it!” Reminder: If a player pulls a rare “Triple WILD” jackpot, let us know, and we’ll send them a special gift!

Santa’s Sleigh

Santa needs to deliver his gifts on time! Your player will guide Old St. Nick’s sleigh through the night sky by moving their controller either up & down or left & right. Either gifts or coal will drop into the chimneys as you fly by, but be careful not to crash! If you observe a player struggling, use tactile cues to help them complete the desired movements correctly. A great game for testing reaction time, activity tolerance, and functional reach. Players can have fun tallying how many children were “Naughty” or “Nice” based on their delivery!

These games are so great; you’ll want to grab an ornament or pull on some mittens and play right away! Set up two or more stations where residents can play individually, as a team, or compete in a group simultaneously. They’ll love the nostalgia of the games and have a great time sharing their favorite holiday memories and traditions.

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!

Tag Archives: tips

Introducing RESTORE-Together: A better way to virtually connect to patients