Dice game rolls back the years

Rugby league fans will be able to roll back the years and reconnect with treasured memories, thanks to a unique Reminiscence Dice Game created by Community Integrated Care in collaboration with our partners Age Exchange and the Rugby League World Cup 2021. This incredible free resource is available to download now – click here for your free copy.  

The RLWC2021 Reminiscence Dice Game has been purposely designed to enable people to re-live the greatest memories of their lives, using creative and fun methods. Whilst this resource has wide appeal, it will be particularly life-enhancing for people living with dementia and older individuals. 

More Than A Game 

Our memories make us who we are. Our stories– the sports we follow, the places we grew up, the people we love, the hobbies that we’ve followed – are central to our identity. This game has been designed to support individuals who might have barrier to connecting with their memories, such as people living with dementia, and to bridge the gap between generations – helping to promote great conversations. 

There are thirteen reminiscence topics within the game – including rugby league, sport, schooldays, work, food, holidays, and local communities – that have been identified by Age-Exchange’s reminiscence experts as important pillars of personal identity for many people. These themes each have their own purpose-designed reminiscence questions.  

The game is wonderfully simple. Participants just roll two die to select the question they will ask to the person they are playing with – supporting a spontaneous, free flowing, and fun conversations. 

Age Exchange and Community Integrated Care co-developed these questions working with more than twenty people, including people who live with dementia and older people accessing social care. The questions they have included were specially selected after spurring joyful moments, exciting conversations, and real happiness in testing. By providing this game for free for anyone who can benefit, it is hoped that many more people will experience this joy.  

This is more than just a game – it will be a relationship transforming resource for many. Often, families who have a loved one living with dementia can find conversations challenging, struggling to connect with them and find fresh areas of conversation. People sometimes wish that they could know more about their loved one and their history. Through supporting exciting and interesting conversations, this game makes a difference – promoting and preserving a person’s-life history through the sharing of stories.  

It can also be invaluable for people working in social care and community settings. For care workers supporting people who are older than them, it can help bridge the generation divide. When supporting isolated individuals, it gives them the comfort of focused time and attention, with someone who listens and cares. 

But simply it can also be a wonderful experience for Rugby League fans and anyone who wishes to share and listen to a story. Watch Dorothy sharing some of her happiest memories with BBC Radio Merseyside presenter Steve Roberts – watch the full video here.

Championing Inclusion  

Community Integrated Care is the Official Social Care Partner of the RLWC2021 and one of Britain’s biggest care providers. This resource has been created as part of its ground-breaking RLWC2021 Inclusive Volunteering Programme, which aims to positively engage the talents of people who access social care in the event and in tournament communities to change lives.  

Age Exchange is a subsidiary charity of Community Integrated Care and is renowned for their work as the pioneers of creative engagement in supporting older people and people living with dementia.  

John Hughes, Director of Partnerships and Communities at Community Integrated Care, says:

“This game has an important purpose. There are few things that you can give to a person that are more important than your time, an interested ear and good company. We want to support people to share their memories, helping to overcome isolation and bring people together.  

We have seen the impact game that this game can have on people living with dementia and older people, so we are excited to now share it widely for free. Often quality resources like this can be expensive for care groups and community settings. By gifting this game through such a significant platform as the Rugby League World Cup 2021, we hope to reach and help many people.” 

David Savill, Creative Director at Age-Exchange, says:

“It has been wonderful to have the opportunity to design a product that can reach and benefit so many people, through using the profile of the Rugby League World Cup 2021. 

We had great fun working with the people we support to develop this concept and together, we found some wonderful reminiscence themes and questions. This free game will make a real difference to the people who play it. We encourage anyone who can benefit from this project to download it. If you know a family, care service or community group that it can help, please spread the word.” 

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE REMINISCENCE DICE GAME HERE.