HC Higgins et al. Lessons learned: Staff perceptions of the Nintendo Wii as a health promotion tool within an aged-care and disability service. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 2010;21:189-195.

Enhancing opportunities for all older people to be physically and mentally active is an imperative in our ageing society. Higgins and associates descried lessons learned from the use of the Nintendo Wii within Queensland aged care and disability services. The data were assembled through eliciting staff perceptions regarding the usefulness of Wii technology within their centers. Telephone interviews were conducted with direct care staff in 53 centers that had been using the Wii technology for at least three months. Content analysis of interview data identified the major response patterns raised by staff. The staff noted that Wii activities were easy to master for more able clients and that there was minimal risk to clients. Staff reported that these activities provided health promoting physical benefits (mobility, range of motion, dexterity, coordination, distraction from pain) and psychosocial gains (social engagement, self-esteem, mastery, ability to pacify challenging behaviors), and were a useful adjunct to other care practices within these aged-care and disabilities services.

WHAT THE STUDY MAY MEAN TO YOU AS A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER: The staff reported that Wii activities provided purposeful and meaningful opportunities to promote well being for aged and disabled clients within an aged-care and disability service. However, Wii activities were less successful with clients who had significant cognitive and/or physical disabilities.

WHAT THE STUDY MAY MEAN TO YOU AS A HEALTH CARE CONSUMER: I’ve been waiting for someone to describe the use of Wii activities in changing patients’ performance. Kudos to the authors for conducting such a study! More research needs to be conducted using the Wii.