About the Program

ACL/NCOA approved for Title IIID funds

Bingocize® is an evidence-based program (EBP) that meets the highest-level criteria for evidence-based disease prevention and health promotion programs, as established by the Active Community Living/Administration on Aging (ACL/AoA) Evidence-Based Programs Review Committee.

Bingocize® qualifies for Title IIID or other applicable discretionary funds. Title III-D of the Older Americans Act (OAA). OAA provides grants to states and territories based on their share of the population aged 60 and older for programs, like Bingocize®, that support healthy lifestyles and promote healthy behaviors.

SNAP-Ed Nutrition Education Approved

Bingocize® is approved to be included in the SNAP-Ed* Toolkit as an evidence-based nutrition intervention and is eligible for purchase using SNAP-Ed funds. Bingocize® | SNAP-Ed (usda.gov)

Bingocize® is a 10-week, evidence-based health promotion program approved through both SNAP-Ed and The National Council on Aging (NCOA). Bingocize® combines exercise and health information with the familiar game of Bingo, which is a great and fun way to get seniors and those with disabilities moving and socializing.  It’s meant to be played twice a week on nonconsecutive days. Each session usually lasts 45-60 minutes. We have various “curriculum” workshops such as Exercise Only, Falls Prevention, and Nutrition, some of which are more appropriate than others depending on the physical and cognitive ability levels of your particular group of Bingocizers. Bingocize® can be implemented remotely or in a traditional face-to-face setting.

The overall goals of Bingocize® are to help older adults and those with disabilities:

• Improve and/or maintain mobility and independence
• Learn and use health information focused on falls reduction, improved nutrition, and other health-related behaviors
• Engage in social settings

• A significant barrier to improving the health and well-being of sedentary older adults is getting them to adhere to an exercise-based health promotion program (Picorelli et al., 2014).
• Older adults enjoy and are more likely to participate in programs that are game-centered, interactive, and socially engaging.
• Multimodal interventions (targeting multiple aspects of physical and/or cognitive health, such as health education and exercise) are most likely to produce improvements (Park et al., 2011).

Bingocize® targets sedentary older adults and people with disabilities at all ability levels in a variety of settings, including certified nursing facilities, assisted living, independent living, and community senior centers.

Facilitators conduct a game of Bingo, but instead of traditional Bingo, it's Bingocize®! Bingocizers complete strategically inserted exercises or health education questions between numbers, resting while numbers are called, and so on. This pattern is continued until a Bingocizer wins the game. The intensity of the exercises and difficulty of the questions are all intentionally planned to give the Bingocizer the best workout they can get. Small prizes (some included with program) are awarded to winners. Additional games are played until all planned exercises are completed.

• Bingocizers play Bingocize® for one hour twice per week for 10 weeks OR
• The program can be even more beneficial if played on an ongoing basis!

• 8-20 Bingocizers per facilitator 
• Greater than 20 Bingocizers requires two certified facilitators 

• Improved upper/lower body strength, gait, balance, and range of motion
• Improved aspects of cognition (executive function)
• Increased social engagement
• Improved knowledge of falls risk reduction and other important health topics
• Improved patient activation

Recommended pre-participation forms include Pre/Post Assessments and Attendance Logs. All forms and outcome measure instructions are available on the online facilitator training. Certified facilitator complete an evaluation of the training, and Bingocizers complete an evaluation of the program.

Community-dwelling older adults (n= 481) attended Bingocize® group sessions twice per week for 10 weeks. Pre- and post-assessments gauged participants' self-perception of fear of falling, physical activity, social isolation, and avoidance behavior. Following the intervention, paired sample t-tests revealed statistically significant improvements (p <.05) in:

• Fear of falling, t(364)=3.39, p<.001, ES=.178
• Physical activity, t(341)=4.63, p<.001, ES=2.50
• Social isolation, t (303)=2.185, p<.015, ES=.125
• Avoidance behavior, t(345)=3.4, p<.001,ES=.184

Community-dwelling physically inactive older adults (N=85) participated for approximately one hour, twice per week, for 10 weeks. They played in groups and were randomly assigned to either an experimental (Bingo + Health Education + Exercise; n =47) or control (Bingo + Health Education; n = 38) group.

• Upper body strength improved for both groups, F (1, 81) =11.40, p<.01, but the improvement was significantly greater for the experimental group (interaction), F (1, 81) =4.78, p=.03.
• Lower body strength improved for both groups, F (1, 80) =13.38, p<.01, but the improvement was significantly greater for the experimental group, F (1, 81) =4.44, p=.04.
• As expected, health knowledge on fall risk and osteoarthritis showed a main effect, such that both groups improved their knowledge of the topics, F(1,83)=275.56, p<.001, suggesting the program can be effective for improving health knowledge with or without including the exercise component.
• Health activation values significantly increased from pre- to post-intervention for both groups, p < 0.05. Attendance was high (>93% in both groups) (Crandall et al.,2019).

Gait performance associated with fall risk was assessed in participants (N=38; Falls et al., 2018). Pre/post gait analysis (at self-selected (SS) and fast walking speeds) was measured using the GAITRite® Electronic Walkway.

• Significant improvements (group x time) were observed for the experimental group at fast walking speed for ambulation time (AT) (λ = .878, F (1, 36) = 5.01, p = .031, ES = .122); velocity (λ = .886, F (1, 36) = 4.61, p = .039, ES = .114); and step length (λ = .864, F (1, 36) = 5.64, p = .023, ES = .136).
• Significance at SS speed included AT (λ = .892, F (1, 36) = 4.37, p = .044, ES = .108) single support (λ = .887, F (1, 36) = 4.59, p = .039, ES = .113); and double support time (λ = .886, F (1, 36) = 4.63, p = .038, ES = .114).

2-Year Countywide License includes:

• Unlimited access to the Bingocize® web-based game application. 
• Unlimited number of physical sites within the licensed county.
• Ongoing technical assistance from the Bingocize® team.

Additional Counties:

• Additional county licenses may be added to your original license at any time and includes everything included with your original license.
• Additional county licenses will expire at the same time as the original county license.

Facilitator Training & Certification:

• The self-paced individual training is all online with certification upon completion. 

Equipment (Bingocize® in a Box):

• Each Bingocize® in a Box contains 20 resistance bands, 20 stress balls, a pack of 20 Bingocize® cards, one facilitator t-shirt, and a curriculum reinforcement pack (prize pack) with enough prizes for one 10-week workshop...  Additional packs are optional, but  can be purchased at any time. 
• At least one Bingocize® in a Box is required with each county license and costs $365 + shipping. Additional boxes are not required after the initial purchase, but can be purchased at any time. 

Program costs examples:

• An organization serving one county, will need:
  • one license ($420)
  • one trained facilitator ($210)
  • and one  Bingocize® in a Box ($365 + shipping).
  • The total two-year cost for this organization is just $995 plus shipping.
• An organization serving two counties will need:
  • one license ($420)
  • one additional county license ($315)
  • two trained facilitators ($420)
  • and two  Bingocize® in a Box ($730 + shipping).
  • The total two-year cost for this organization is just $1,885 plus shipping.

After the first two years:

After two years, an organization serving one county and using the same facilitator will need one license ($420), one facilitator renewal training ($105). The total cost for this organization for years three and four is $525.

 

Facility:

• Large room with tables and sturdy chairs without wheels; Bingocizers should be able to stand and move at least 4 feet from the table in each direction.
• Room size should allow space for facilitator to move about the room.
• Class size: up to 20 Bingocizers if one facilitator; more than 20 Bingocizers requires two facilitators.
• A strong WIFI connection is needed for the Bingocize® Web App; tablets are needed for each Bingocizer.

Equipment and Material:

• A Bingocize® in a Box (reusable) is required.
  • Contains equipment for up to 20 Bingocizers!
  • Includes resistance bands, therapy balls, an official Bingocize® t-shirt for the facilitator, and enough prizes for one 10-Week Workshop. 
  • Targeted educational and marketing materials for facilitators to use are available for download via the online facilitator training.
• Small educational reinforcements prizes are recommended for Bingocize® game winners; $1.00-$5.00 per prize; 2-3 should be awarded per game
  • A prize pack is included with enough prizes for one 10-week session with each Bingocize® Box purchased
• Bingo game set (not included)

The online facilitator training consists of self-paced modules. Knowledge assessments are completed along the way to ensure content retention.

Facilitators will have access to the printable workshop materials to offer Bingocize® once they purchase the program and successfully complete the online training. Once you complete the training, you will always be able to access the course for materials.

We always provide the most up-to-date materials through the course resources. The facilitator course is found at bingocize.myabsorb.com and will be available to you once you've purchased the program and registered for the course through a custom link provided to your agency.

Each organization will designate a member to observe a new Bingocize® facilitator no later than the end of the second week of the 10-week workshop to ensure delivery fidelity. The observer should be an experienced Bingocize® facilitator and/or trained and certified in at least one other evidence-based program.