Increasing Quality of Life by Playing Chess: A Blended Care Approach for Elderly People

Abstract

As digitization in healthcare progresses, e-health technologies are becoming increasingly important and can complement traditional healthcare services. While e-health services are well accepted and used by younger people, usage barriers exist for people with disabilities and the elderly. Participatory Technology Design (PD) may be a promising approach to address these usage barriers, involving users in the development process to increase user acceptance and prevent potential reactance effects. Chess, one of the world's oldest board games, has been shown to promote cognitive abilities in a similar way to computer-based training and increase the quality of life of elderly people. This study investigates the effect of a six-week blended care chess training course on elderly people in four retirement homes. The results show a tendentially significant increase in quality of life, indicating that blended care chess training of elderly people can lead to an increased quality of life.