Laetitia

Hello Jennifer
Nice to meet you.
Just wanted to say that I can totally identify with your Bingo predicament. I am working as a registered diversional & recreational therapist, in a dementia-secured facility in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. I have a male resident who cannot stand it that I am giving instructions to follow during exercises or any suggestions or encouragement to convince them to join in. This resident can be a challenge for me at times due to the fact that he simply snatches the ball, refused to return it and forced the rest of the residents to stop participating in an activity they really enjoy. One of my female residents is a person with zero tolerance for such behaviour and she would start yelling at him and won't hesitate to get physical. My main concern is always the safety of the surrounding residents within the reach of these two. When playing table games I always have chocolates to give out to reward the winners, but give the chocolates to everyone at the end in order not to contribute to any irritation or frustration the resident/s might have already. Believe me, I can totally understand your dilemma; it can be difficult. If I may suggest something. Maybe you can offer a reward based on pleasant and harmonious game playing and friendly but firmly confirm that you don't want any conflict during the game.