Bingo

[yunakitty 2]

When writing in the topic about Bingo prizes, I started thinking about a question I've had.

 

I have a lovely little lady with dementia. She's super pleasant and ambulatory. The only thing she really does that you can tell she's different is that she switches up words and says things out of sequence. Even though she's a Skilled Nursing resident now, I still take her on Assisted Living outings like dinners, because she's still totally appropriate for those things.

 

This lady never misses an activity, unless she's out with family or at PT. She sleeps like a normal person, at night, and she's up all day and seldom naps. She's a delight to have at exercise (she can spike a balloon like nobody's business), fun at parties, always wants to help me set up and clean up, etc.

 

However, there is one activity that I cannot have her at, and that is bingo. She talks. I'll say I-26, and she'll start reading her card loudly. "I-23, I-22, I-16, I-19, I-30, but no I-26." Or I'll call a number and she'll read a totally different number back as a question. It aggravates some of the other residents, as well as it slows down the game terribly. I've tried sitting right next to her so I can discreetly shush her. I've explained to her that she can't say anything during the game, because it confuses people, and that only I can talk. She'll say, "I know, but..." and babble about how her card doesn't have the number. And yes, I explain the game to her every time before we start = "I'm going to call random numbers. You won't have every number that I say. If you do have them on your card, you cover them up like so. If you don't, just wait and listen for the next number." I've explained how the numbers go under the letters. I've tried everything.

 

But nothing stops the talking for more than a minute. It's just gotten to the point that I have to not bring her to bingo. Which is extremely difficult, because as I said, she's always out in the commons areas waiting for something to do. I have to take other residents right in front of her, and just not make eye contact with her or she'll get up and follow me. (She follows me around as it is, but I don't mind because she's so sweet.) And then I have nurses that bring her in halfway through the game, chiding me "You forgot Miss X!" I have to get up and whisper in their ear that she disturbs bingo, and they're always in disbelief, but they take her away nonetheless. But I feel bad, because this lady does not forget...she gets mixed up, but last month I was out for four days, and before I left I told her my sister was flying in that day from Holland. When I got back, the first thing she said to me was, "How was your sister's flight from Holland?" So I have a feeling that she's going to figure out she's being excluded.

 

What do you guys do about pleasantly disruptive residents? Is exclusion the right answer? I feel like I'm making the best decision possible, because if she is there, she drags down the game for everyone else and even agitates our die hard bingo player, who is a chanter and a cusser when agitated. (She's told her, "Goddamn it X, you're a disgrace." to which Miss X, bless her heart, said, "I know, but I just can't figure out this card" in her perfectly refined New England accent. She is a sweetheart, through and through.)

 

And any time I do exclude a resident, I make sure to do a 1:1 with them later (like I have people who can't come to the baking activities because they can't eat, and I feel like it's cruel to make them sit there and stare while everyone else eats cookies.) I'm definitely making it up to Miss X, because she attends every other activity and often sits in my office looking through my photo albums while I do paperwork. But I didn't know if you guys had strategies for "bingo talkers."

[sams 0]

When writing in the topic about Bingo prizes, I started thinking about a question I've had.

 

I have a lovely little lady with dementia. She's super pleasant and ambulatory. The only thing she really does that you can tell she's different is that she switches up words and says things out of sequence. Even though she's a Skilled Nursing resident now, I still take her on Assisted Living outings like dinners, because she's still totally appropriate for those things.

 

This lady never misses an activity, unless she's out with family or at PT. She sleeps like a normal person, at night, and she's up all day and seldom naps. She's a delight to have at exercise (she can spike a balloon like nobody's business), fun at parties, always wants to help me set up and clean up, etc.

 

However, there is one activity that I cannot have her at, and that is bingo. She talks. I'll say I-26, and she'll start reading her card loudly. "I-23, I-22, I-16, I-19, I-30, but no I-26." Or I'll call a number and she'll read a totally different number back as a question. It aggravates some of the other residents, as well as it slows down the game terribly. I've tried sitting right next to her so I can discreetly shush her. I've explained to her that she can't say anything during the game, because it confuses people, and that only I can talk. She'll say, "I know, but..." and babble about how her card doesn't have the number. And yes, I explain the game to her every time before we start = "I'm going to call random numbers. You won't have every number that I say. If you do have them on your card, you cover them up like so. If you don't, just wait and listen for the next number." I've explained how the numbers go under the letters. I've tried everything.

 

But nothing stops the talking for more than a minute. It's just gotten to the point that I have to not bring her to bingo. Which is extremely difficult, because as I said, she's always out in the commons areas waiting for something to do. I have to take other residents right in front of her, and just not make eye contact with her or she'll get up and follow me. (She follows me around as it is, but I don't mind because she's so sweet.) And then I have nurses that bring her in halfway through the game, chiding me "You forgot Miss X!" I have to get up and whisper in their ear that she disturbs bingo, and they're always in disbelief, but they take her away nonetheless. But I feel bad, because this lady does not forget...she gets mixed up, but last month I was out for four days, and before I left I told her my sister was flying in that day from Holland. When I got back, the first thing she said to me was, "How was your sister's flight from Holland?" So I have a feeling that she's going to figure out she's being excluded.

 

What do you guys do about pleasantly disruptive residents? Is exclusion the right answer? I feel like I'm making the best decision possible, because if she is there, she drags down the game for everyone else and even agitates our die hard bingo player, who is a chanter and a cusser when agitated. (She's told her, "Goddamn it X, you're a disgrace." to which Miss X, bless her heart, said, "I know, but I just can't figure out this card" in her perfectly refined New England accent. She is a sweetheart, through and through.)

 

And any time I do exclude a resident, I make sure to do a 1:1 with them later (like I have people who can't come to the baking activities because they can't eat, and I feel like it's cruel to make them sit there and stare while everyone else eats cookies.) I'm definitely making it up to Miss X, because she attends every other activity and often sits in my office looking through my photo albums while I do paperwork. But I didn't know if you guys had strategies for "bingo talkers."

I don't know any stategies, but I will suggest that if she loves to play bingo, I don't see why you can't get one, or two other resident that may be a little confused and let them play together.

[heavenstar 0]

Can you make her a volunteer of some sort and give her a special job to do during bingo? Maybe she can organize something, make copies, get items ready for the next activity, or something along those lines that she can do independently? If you make her feel needed and keep her busy with something else during bingo then she won't feel excluded from bingo. Also it was a good idea to have bingo with some other residents who won't mind her at a different time like the other reply. That way she still gets her bingo "fix".

[mrschargus 0]

I work at an Adult Day Care, serving mainly adult with Alzheimer's. I have a member a lot like the one you are talking about. We have just one big room that we do all of our activities in. She would often call back the numbers I was calling or had cute little rhymes that she would recite. I tried everything to get her to stop talking throughout the game but nothing work. Then one day I had lost my voice and was having a hard time calling the numbers. She was the first to volunteer to call, so I let her. Ever since then she has been our Bingo caller. She does a great job calling and I think she enjoys that even more then playing the game. The only thing is that I still have to be right by her side to keep the game moving because she likes to stop and tell stories.

[themusiclady 1]

In my music groups I use the phrase 'thank you' a lot then get things back on track, but there are occasionally people who are more desruptive so I ask someone else to stay with them for some of the time so they can participate then they take them off to do something else.

 

Sometimes putting them on a chair right by me helps- it is the extra attention the person needs, or constant reassurance or redirection.

 

But people tell stories all the time ( often with me having to repeat key elements because others can't hear ) and I usually just make it part of the program.

 

I've learned where to position people, so that the people who get irritated don't have to look directly at them or sit right by them for example, and if I see people getting irritated I smile and make it clear it doesn't worry me.

 

I've found special clothing helps focus attention on me- I have a series of over-jackets I wear for different things with various themed fabric.

[AndiLynn 0]

What if you had her call the bingo numbers? Would she be able to say them loud enough for the other residents? We had a few problems like that. I feel for you. I know we feel bad when we don't invite someone to a particular activity but we can't have the disruptions either. Maybe you could also put her with another resident/friend who will assist her with her own card. I know when i put people together they tend to be less stressed and they can figure it out together. Also the other person can remind her to be less vocal. I hope something helps for you.

I don't know any stategies, but I will suggest that if she loves to play bingo, I don't see why you can't get one, or two other resident that may be a little confused and let them play together.