How ‘shooting hoops’ has become a favourite activity at Woodland Villa
A recently acquired Pop-A-Shot has been a safe and fun way to engage residents during the pandemic
A new basketball-themed activity at Woodland Villa is proving to be engaging for both residents and staff members at the Long Sault, Ont. long-term care home.
Woodland Villa recently acquired a Pop-A-Shot basketball game that has been getting lots of use since it arrived at the home two and a half months ago, says Lisa Doran, the home’s life enrichment co-ordinator.
The Pop-A-Shot combines old-fashioned basketball with an arcade game.
The game features two side-by-side basketball hoops and a backboard that’s surrounded by netting for safety. Players toss basketballs towards the hoops, and an electronic scoreboard tallies the baskets scored.
The game is set up in the activity area. Lisa says residents will often go to the Pop-A-Shot, pick up a basketball and start playing.
Staff members, when they have some down time, are also taking residents over and shooting hoops with them.
“(The Pop-A-Shot) is going over very well – both the residents and the staff love it; you can hear people using it all the time,” Lisa tells The OMNIway.
“They have competitions with each other, and even the staff will have competitions with each other.”
With safety restrictions in place due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there is no large-group programming in long-term care homes. Since the Pop-A-Shot basketball game is a two-player activity, it’s the perfect tool for engaging residents in something they enjoy while adhering to important safety protocols, Lisa says.
Asked if she would recommend the Pop-A-Shot to other long-term care homes, Lisa doesn’t hesitate in her response.
“Definitely, it’s been great,” she says.
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PHOTO CAPTION: Woodland Villa resident Denis Gauvin takes aim with a basketball at the home’s recently acquired Pop-A-Shot.
