Maya DeAngelis

Recreational Therapy Modalities

Professor Burket

November 10,2021

Uno
Sources:

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• Rules of uno. Uno Rules - rules of uno board game card. (2006). Retrieved November 10,
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Equipment: A stack of Uno Cards

Activity Description:

• At the beginning of the game each player is dealt 7 cards, and you need at least 3 players.
• The remaining cards that are not dealt are put face down in the middle for all players to
reach
 • The top card from the remaining cards deck is then turned over for all players to see,
which is the Widdie deck, and another card is drawn to another deck to be the discard
deck
• The discard deck is for players to put any card that they drawl and don’t want into the
discard desk, you only allow to do this with one card that you pull, not every single one
• The game starts clockwise with the players
• Whatever card is turned over all players must match, whether that be the same digit or
same color of that exact card
• In the absence of a suitable card, the player takes one card from the deck “Widdie” . If
the card meets the same color or same digit - the player can put the card on the deck
"Discard", if not satisfied - the player leaves the card himself, says "Pass" and the turn
goes to the next player.
• The main goal of this game is to get rid of all your cards in your own deck before any of
the other players do
• If you finally get down to one card in your deck you must yell UNO, this tells everyone
your left with one card and your about to win the game
• There are some special cards in this deck for players to use against other players
• These cards are “Skip”, “Take two”, “Reverse Card”, “Choose Color”, “Choose Color
and take 4”
• Skip means the next player misses his turn, whoever is next to the person who uses the
skip card
• Take two - the next player takes two cards from the "Widdie" deck and skips his turn
• "Reverse card" - the direction of the turn is reversed
• "Choose Color" - allows you to change the player's current color
• "Choose Color and take four" - can only be laid out by the player in their turn and only if
the player lacks the current color, and the next player takes four cards from the "Widdie"
deck and skips the turn, whoever has the card can choose who they use it on.
• The game ends once one player gets rid of all their cards in their own deck, and they win
the game

Primary Social Interactions:

- I chose this activity, because Uno or any type of card game is known for helping improve
cognitive functioning in someone who has early on set dementia. This simple game can
help with long term and short memory strengthening, by remembering what is in your
card deck or the rules of the game. Uno is also appropriate for any age and is a fun
activity to do with peers or family. Uno or any card game helps improve overall
cognitive function in someone who has dementia or not. It is seen helping cognitive
function, because it exercises memory, concentration, and thinking skills in that person
brain. I also choose this activity, because it helps with social interaction as well, whether
this be family or friends that the patient is playing with. It improves social functioning,
and communication with that patient as well. This game just allows a patient to have fun,
but also allows them to socialize and help exercise their brain as well, without them even
knowing its being improve. The primary social interaction pattern is multilateral because
this is a competitive game among 3 or more people going against each other; each person
 wants to win the game by themselves, and everyone is doing anything they can to try to
beat the other players.

What have I learned:

- Dementia is caused by abnormal brain changes which is damaged to brain cells, and it
triggers a decline in thinking skills, cognitive skills, and can impair someone daily life. It
interferes with the ability of brain cells to communicate with each other. I didn’t know it
could change someone’s emotions so severely, and changes someone outlook on life
drastically. I learned that Alzheimer’s is one of the main forms of my dementia, and it
takes up to 60-80% of cases of dementia.

Adaptation:

My adaptation is a cheat sheet that is incorporated into the game or placed on the table; that is
modified for the patient's needs, such as if they forget what the certain number, color, or the
simplified game rules are, but the caregiver is also adapted into the game if needed to read it
when the patient needs help with it, it is modified specifically to what the patient struggles within
their own mind on remembering certain number or colors. The cheat sheet would be adapted to
the specific individual's needs, characteristics, and what they tend to forget easily or more of.
This gives the resort for the patient or the caregiver to look over at more easily and gives them
the ability to refresh their surroundings in a faster/easier manner. They are just starting to
experience the early signs of dementia, so although they are more aware of what is going on this
is something they can lean onto when needed. The cheat sheet can have anything written on it
specified to that patient on what they need help with, whether it is their surroundings or
something specific to the activity.

Patient: Participant: 75-year-old woman diagnosed with early onset dementia.