Faculty at Western Carolina University have been awarded $1,165,955 from the Civil Money Penalty Grant for Medicare and Medicaid Services that will allow them to oversee Bingocize and use the program in North Carolina.
Bingocize, an evidence-based senior wellness program, continues to grow in popularity. Over the next three years, this program will be available in 45 North Carolina certified nursing homes and is expected to reach more than 2,000 residents.
“We are looking forward to partnering with the Western Kentucky University Center for Applied Science in Health & Aging to provide a nationally recognized health promotion program to nursing homes,” said Turner Goins, WCU’s Ambassador Jeanette Hyde Distinguished Professor of Gerontological Social Work. “These nursing homes have already expressed a strong desire to offer Bingocize to their residents, and we’re currently identifying additional facilities who are interested in offering Bingocize as part of our project. We’re also excited to have students participating in this project because it will be a great opportunity for those going into health professions to learn about aging.”
Bingocize is a group-based program that combines exercise, health education and the widely popular game of bingo. Successfully tested by a research team, Bingocize found more than 90 percent of older adults were retained over the course of a 10-week program, and they significantly improved physical, social and mental health.
The program consists of two 45- to 60-minute sessions each week. A session begins with a group of Certified Nursing Facility residents sitting at tables with individual bingo cards. Trained CNF staff members, with help from trained university students, serve as program leaders. The residents complete a series of gentle physical exercises followed by the program leader calling a bingo letter/number combination. Exercises focus on improving components of functional mobility such as strength, range of motion and balance.
