Dagomo records an average of 7.6 per cent short-term increase in the heart rates of participants after the game sessions.
Towards stimulating the consciousness of care and improving the physical and mental well-being of the elderly Nigerian population, a non-governmental organisation, Dagomo Foundation, recently feted about 200 elderly persons in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
At the event tagged: “Ageing Games 2023,” beneficiaries enjoyed basic health checks, consultations, and free drugs.
According to the organisers, the initiative was supported by the Edo State Ministry of Health, with free health insurance provided by the state’s Health Insurance Commission.
The beneficiaries also participated in athletic, board and card games, and received food packs, courtesy of the Dagomo Food Kitchen.
According to the organisation, the 2023 Ageing Games was organised in honour of its late Vice-Chairperson, Grace Omoigui and departed Chair, Daniel Omoigui, who died on 19 November 2016 and 24 November 2022 respectively. The two were mother and father of the current promoters of Dagomo.
Impact of Ageing Games
After the fun games, the organisation said data collected from the health checks showed an average of 7.6 per cent short-term increase in the heart rates of participants.
It also recorded a 34 per cent decrease in the blood pressure levels of beneficiaries who presented elevated blood pressure levels from the first day.
“These results highlight the direct relationship of physical and mental exercise with the general well-being of elderly persons. It also highlights the need for tailored care to our elderly population for improved living,” it noted in the statement.
About ageing games
According to the Dagomo Foundation, the novel Ageing Games was conceived to host a series of fun games for both old and young persons towards “promoting inter-generational bonding, learning, building compassion in the youth for the elderly, and bridging the age gap.”
“It is a platform to advocate for the direct impact of physical and mental exercise on overall wellbeing – using high blood pressure, and sugar level indices as a measure of success before and after the activities,” the organisation noted.
“Accordingly as in all our programmes, we conduct medical outreaches to collect such data, monitor and track the overall wellbeing of participants, and facilitate data-driven interventions.”
It added that the goal is to utilise physical and mental exercise as a measurable approach that will have a direct impact on the physical and mental well-being of the elderly.
Contacted on the future of the games, a former chair of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Ifueko Omogui Okauru, who is the chief programme officer at Dagomo Foundation, said the organisation is brainstorming about how to make the Interesting event more robust.