Any time our team can digitally connect GrandPad users to the world at large we consider it a success. At the beginning of March we decided to bring the excitement and fun of online game tournaments to our entire user base by hosting our first Blackjack tournament. It’s hard for seniors to get out and engage with each other in the cold winter months, so we brought the party to them in the comfort of their own homes.
Stimulating the mind with a mix of memory cues, calculations, and puzzles, Blackjack provides boundless fun for seniors while also exercising the brain to keep seniors alert. As seniors age, the limited amount of activities available to them makes it more difficult to maintain consistent mental stimulation - passive activities like watching television don’t do much to exercise their mind. Brain games help seniors stay sharp and focused, and the social aspect helps them connect with people all across the country!
We do not encourage gambling, and while no real money was wagered over the course of the weeklong tournament real memories were made. Users had a ball pitting their Blackjack prowess against friends old and new. One giddy user stated, “weekends are pretty quiet, but this made it fun. I don’t know how many hours I played – I was having so much fun because I was winning!”
It’s difficult to capture the thrills of strenuous activities like tennis or rowing as a senior citizen, but during our tournament users couldn’t get enough of the friendly competition and stimulating challenge. One of our pleased users admitted, “I had played blackjack, but never to that extent. The longer I played, the more I got!” And they were certainly right – that particular player learned the tricks of the trade and played for nearly 14 hours that weekend, spending that time stimulating their mind as opposed to the usual passive activity of watching television.
For many users, the benefits of an online tournament go beyond fun and excitement. As one player said, “it was therapy for me, because when I started playing that game all my anxiety and tremors went away for the rest of the night.” For seniors, alleviation from ailments can come from a variety of sources, so we try to provide as many services and options as possible on the GrandPad.
Every player was entered into a lucky draw for a chance to win a prize, and the person who netted the most in-game “money” won a prize as well. Anyone receiving a prize was able to choose between a bouquet of elegant flowers and an assortment of delicious cookies.
Seniors loved being connected to other users throughout the weekend, and have excitedly asked when the next tournament is. We hope to replicate this event soon and offer more ways for seniors to remain mentally active and socially engaged. One of our missions at GrandPad is to always look for innovative new ways to capture memories and create new ones for our users and their families. With events like this we can ensure seniors lead more stimulating, healthy, and overall happy lives.
