Issue date: 8/7/08 Section: ARTS & LIFE

Media Credit: Bo Joplin Lon Rowlett, Denton resident, plays theWii for "mental therapy," he said. Kimberly Saraswat, ocupational therapist, said she noticed his improvements

Sharon Beeson peered down the lane at ten pins. She rolled her first ball. Nine pins down.

"That was good," said a voice behind her.

Beeson then released her second ball. It perfectly hit the center of the remaining pin.

Beeson picked up the spare and the voice from behind her returned along with several others to cheer her accomplishment.

This isn't a local bowling alley and Beeson hasn't bowled in 20 years. This is Wiihab at the Senior Care Health & Rehabilitation Center in Denton.

The center has used the Nintendo Wii game console as a rehabilitation tool for about two to three months.

Beeson is a resident and is recovering from injuries sustained in a car wreck. Though she uses a wheelchair, she stood and made her approaches almost completely unaided during her Wii bowling session.

She has only been using the Wii for about a week and a half, and though she may have stumbled from time to time she hasn't fallen.

"I like it," Beeson said about the Wii. "It's helping me build my standing stamina, which I haven't had for quite a while."

One of the voices cheering Beeson on belonged to rehab team leader Rebecca Sydnor. She said the motion controlled game system has strong motivational benefits.

"There are three things I love about it," Sydnor said. "Number one is it invites a sense of play. It's a very non-threatening way for patients to interact. It provides a virtual reality where they are focused on a task outside themselves."

Sydnor said she initially thought the residents might have trouble connecting with such a high-tech device. She said the Nintendo Wii is so intuitive that her concern was unfounded.

"People in their 60s and 70s really love it," Sydnor said.

She said she thinks the "Wii Sports" video game is particularly beneficial to residents because it invokes the familiar feeling of playing sports without the fear of physical danger.

"It has a lot of meaning for a lot of these patients who grew up playing baseball or who now play golf and want to get back to that," Sydnor said. "There is a lot of attachment to those activities in their real life."

Sydnor said Wiihab focuses less on competition and more on camaraderie and establishing personal achievements. She said using the Wii in front of other residents in the gym often results in the crowd rooting for the players.

Administrator Greg Fuller said he found the sight of residents using the Wii amazing.

"I walk in here and a resident will be over there bowling," Fuller said. "It's fun to watch."

As for the future of Wiihab, Fuller said he would like to get "Wii Fit," which comes with a balance board and can be used to do such varied activities as yoga or hula-hoop.

"We just want to get whatever accessories we can that will help benefit the residents," he said.

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