Rehabilitation program for elderly to improve physical and cognitive activities using Nintendo Switch: A feasibility study in care settings

• It is essential to provide personalized training and guidance to elderly individuals before introducing them to new technologies such as the Nintendo Switch. Nursing plays a crucial role in providing personalized training and guidance to elderly individuals before introducing them to new technologies such as the Nintendo Switch. • Despite the high intrinsic motivation of the elderly participants to engage in exergames, there are currently no nursing-led programs developed using the Nintendo Switch for this purpose. • The older people participants showed high intrinsic motivation to participate in the exergames, even though they rated the usability of the Nintendo Switch as below ideal. This suggests that with improvements in interface design and user support, these interventions could be more successful. • Given the positive engagement and potential health benefits observed, exergames should be considered for regular integration into the daily routines of older people. This could promote active ageing and improve mobility, coordination, and cognitive function in this population. This study aimed to evaluate the usability of the Nintendo Switch for elderly individuals, including ease of use, understanding of the games, and the user interface, as well as to assess the engagement and adherence levels of elderly participants in the program. Over eight weeks, 14 elderly individuals participated in rehabilitation sessions using exergames, utilizing the Nintendo Switch twice a week. Usability was assessed through the System Usability Scale, and intrinsic motivation was measured using the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory. The participants, with an average age of 81.1 years, showed high inherent motivation (IMIp: 82.2±9.9), but the usability of the Nintendo Switch was considered below average (SUS: 52.9±14.1). Despite the high motivation, the usability of the Nintendo Switch was not ideal, although participants expressed enjoyment and interest in the activities. The need for prior training and integration on this technology, tailored to this age group and individually adjusted, is emphasized.