Could a gaming PC be a good thing in a nursing home?

Sure. The Wii is in like every home and rehab already. The biggest concern would probably just be what type of controls are available? RC guy might get used to a gamepad, or maybe a stick and throttle set up.

Motor skill is going to vary wildly from person to person.

Maybe not yet, but soon. I'm a member of the first gaming generation. I started with C64 and various 'standolone one game hand consoles' that Nintendo built back then before NES.

One thing you have to understand is that in the 80's males older than me thought gaming was for children only. Only childish nerds were interested about such things. "Cool" kids feared they'd get socially ostracized if caught using a computer, let alone playing video games.

This attitude is still quite strong in 50+ and fact that we revert back as we get old makes it worse. From their perspective it's same as giving then shitload of legos/dublos to build stuff and they will resent you for insulting their dignity.

I think in 20 years PCs and consoles will be basic hardware for nursing homes.

In 50 years I hope we can set up a LAN and play some CS, TF and Quake in the nursing home.

Some nursing homes have their seniors pay games to keep up mental and physical skills. Something like Microsoft Flight Simulator would be perfect for that.

It may not be every person in their 80's that can game on a PC, but enough can.

Keep the PC locked down, though. Think of it like giving an old gaming PC to a kid.

Sounds like a great idea - I suspect the biggest obstacle will be finding someone at the home who is confident enough in what to do with it to be willing to accept it.

I've run into similar issues with schools where they are hesitant to accept donations of things like that because they don't want to be saddled with equipment they don't know how to use and maintain. Maybe worth seeing if you can raise a bit of money for a second hand Xbox or something?

I'd guess they can find ways to use a computer, even if the residents can't play Flight Simulator

Maybe some other game that's not reliant on reaction, or something else entirely

That sounds like a great idea! Especially paired with a joystick or actual flight control simulator, that would be awesome!

If not that 90+ man, someone else is bound to get really interested in playing Flight Simulator, or anything else you might leave there. Bonus points if you throw in a flight stick.

It depends on the type of "nursing home" - in a facility catering for more mobile clients, yes, there are some benefits from it and there are actually some good studies on it. The major obstacle is the reduced joint mobility (Arthritis of the fingers) and reduced reaction times. Therefore it would be paramount to use adapted control methods and adapted games.

In a nursing home that has a clientbase focused on the nursing aspect it's far more difficult - most clients will be "too far gone" for most aspects of gaming with a regular PC,but there are some studies using adapted devices and therapists to activate patients ressources.

They'd probably be best off with PCs and a LAN in their bedrooms, and a console room elsewhere.

Horizon's RC simulator is on steam.

Does he have much experience with computers? Not sure if it'd be easier to set him up with something like ChimeraOS that just runs Steam and the game or a basic desktop environment so he can write stuff and browse the internet.

In the aged care home I work in, we've had a few who can work a smart phone but most can barely work their TV. Being into RC planes might work in his favour.

If he doesn't want it, someone else there will.

That's a tough one.

Old people who dont do new things do so because they don't take the initiative to seek new things out.

They might try something, if someone helps them to understand it.

Some will be frustrated with the learning curve ramp and give up before they understand the value.

Old people are creatures of habit. They have the least neuroplasticity of anyone.

I still think its a nice idea though. I suggest a variety of games with simple mechanics.

I would avoid games which require urgent management of simultaneous movement and aiming.

Try to think about what old people would like to be doing if their bodies permitted them to.

Something like Assassins Creed 2 might be nice, for some people to do a "virtual tour" of Rome (provided you can give them a save file with that part of the game available).