New game system helps Forest Hill residents through outbreak

Touch2Play system helps keep quality of life high for residents by offering a myriad of games and activities

Life enrichment co-ordinator Craig Forrest had a feeling the residents of Forest Hill would benefit from a Touch2Play game and activity system, and he would be proven right.

The Kanata, Ont. long-term care home recently purchased the touch-screen gaming system, which contains more than 70 games and puzzles for residents to enjoy, including word searches, connect-the-dots activities, memory activities, crosswords, chess, bowling and garden-building activities.

When the home went into an outbreak recently, the Touch2Play proved to be a valuable tool for keeping residents happy and their quality of life high, Craig tells The OMNIway.

The Touch2Play is mounted on a cart and can be brought to residents in their rooms when they wish to use it. The unit can be adapted to be used by people in sitting, standing or lying positions.

“You can use it for people in bed, you can use it for people in chairs, you can use it for people who are standing, you can manoeuvre it around, and it is very user friendly,” Craig says.

“We were on outbreak recently and residents were confined to their rooms, so it was really good for that situation because we could bring it right into the residents’ rooms.”

Craig adds that the Touch2Play system is stainless steel and can easily be sanitized from top to bottom before and after each use.

Craig says he got the idea to get the system for Forest Hill residents after reading an OMNIway article in 2021 about the success Springdale Country Manor had with a Touch2Play.

“I talked with a couple of other homes that have them and they raved about them and said the residents loved them, so I thought I would give it a try,” he says.

“Long story short, the residents really do love it. … It has really helped our residents during the pandemic.”

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PHOTO CAPTION: Forest Hill resident Paul Morin is pictured here playing a word-search game on the home’s Touch2Play system.