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Seniors using 'Pokemon Go' to stay physically, mentally active

By Ben Hooper
A patient at DeBary Nursing and Rehabilitation Center plays "Pokemon Go" as part of her treatment. Screenshot: WESH-TV
A patient at DeBary Nursing and Rehabilitation Center plays "Pokemon Go" as part of her treatment. Screenshot: WESH-TV

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DEBARY, Fla., July 25 (UPI) -- A Florida nursing home and rehab center has found a new tool to keep seniors physically and mentally active -- blockbuster smartphone game Pokemon Go.

Pokemon Go, an augmented reality game that calls on players to seek out digital creatures in real-world locations, is catching on with patients at the DeBary Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, where staff introduced the game to seniors recovering from injuries.

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"You can walk around the corner doing it and it's not that far. I have a good time," Brenda Francis, who is recovering from a broken hip, told WESH-TV.

Chloe Kauffman, 92, said she finds the game helps her mind remain active.

"I'm trying to stay attached," Kauffman said.

Winnie James said playing the game has helped her to understand what her younger relatives have been talking about.

"We were familiar with it because of grandchildren mostly but now we've actually experienced it." James said.

Seniors elsewhere in the country are following suit -- the Christus St. Joseph Village retirement community in Coppell, Texas, held a class for seniors interested in using the game as a means to stay physically and mentally active.

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