Bingocize®, an evidence-based senior wellness program created by Western Kentucky University faculty member Dr. Jason Crandall, continues to grow in popularity and expand to more states. Over the next three years, Bingocize® will be available in forty-five North Carolina certified nursing homes and is expected to reach over 2,000 residents. Faculty at Western Carolina University have been awarded $1,165,955 from the Civil Money Penalty Grant for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that will allow them to oversee Bingocize® and use the program in North Carolina.

"We are excited to extend the reach of Bingocize® across North Carolina. We are looking forward to partnering with the WKU Center for Applied Science in Health & Aging (CASHA) to provide a nationally recognized health promotion program to nursing homes. These nursing homes have already expressed a strong desire to offer Bingocize® to their residents, and we’re currently identifying additional facilities who are interested in offering Bingocize® as part of our project. We’re also excited to have students participating in this project because it will be a great opportunity for students going into health professions to learn about aging, said Dr. Turner Goins, Professor in the Department of Social Work at Western Carolina University’s College of Health and Human Services.

“Combined with previous CMS funding for Bingocize® projects in other states, CMS has awarded over $7 million in funding to implement Bingocize® in certified nursing homes,” said Dr. Crandall. “We are excited to work with our colleagues at Western Carolina University to continue expanding the reach of Bingocize® with the goal of improving the quality of life for thousands of nursing home residents.”

About Bingocize®: Dr. Jason Crandall, CASHA Co-Director and Associate Professor in the WKU CHHS School of Kinesiology, Recreation & Sport, created Bingocize®, a socially engaging group-based program that combines exercise, health education, and the widely popular game of bingo.  Successfully tested by a research team, Bingocize® found over 90% of older adults were retained over the course of a 10-week program and they significantly improved physical, social, and mental health.  Bingocize® is delivered live by a trained lay leader either face-to-face or using web based Bingocize® Online.  With critical endorsements from the United States Administration for Community Living and Department of Agriculture, Bingocize® offers licenses, online training, program materials and equipment, and merchandise to nursing homes, assisted living, senior centers, and hospital trauma centers across the US and the world.

The Bingocize® program consists of two 45–60-minute sessions each week. A session begins with a group of Certified Nursing Facility (CNF) residents sitting at tables with individual bingo cards. Trained CNF staff members, with help from trained university students, serve as program leaders. The residents complete a series of gentle physical exercises followed by the program leader calling a bingo letter/number combination. Exercises focus on improving components of functional mobility such as strength, range of motion, and balance. For more information about Bingocize®, visit www.wku.edu/bingocize.

About CASHA: The WKU College of Health and Human Services launched the Center for Applied Science in Health and Aging (CASHA) in 2018. The center identifies, develops, and mobilizes social and health innovations in applied research by enhancing well-being, performance, and functioning in the aging community. For more information about CASHA, visit www.wku.edu/casha.